The Marketplace at Erie, one of two all-you-can-eat dining halls at SUNY Fredonia, will close Friday evening, Nov. 16, and won鈥檛 re-open until next spring, but diners are invited to visit Cranston March茅, which will begin serving on weekends when classes resume following the Thanksgiving break, as well as other FSA-operated food outlets.
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The closing is a necessary part of a two-phase campaign to replace the university鈥檚 aging central boiler system with individual satellite boilers at most buildings, including Erie.
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Beginning Monday, Nov. 26, operating hours at the Cranston March茅 will expand to include Friday dinner, 4 to 7:30 p.m., as well as brunch, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and dinner, 4 to 6:30 p.m., on Saturday and Sunday. Weekday hours remain unchanged. Regular patrons of Erie needn鈥檛 worry that many of their favorite foods will be missing from their plates.
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鈥淪ome of the menu items from Erie will be featured at other locations,鈥 said FSA Executive Director Charles Notaro, such as new organic selections, along with the Friday鈥檚 featured menu favorite. 鈥淲e are adjusting some of the menus at march茅 to accommodate the additional crowds.鈥
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FSA has monitored patron levels at march茅 and suggests that diners may experience 鈥渃runch time鈥 -- when waiting in line may reach 15 minutes -- at noon as well as 1, 5 and 6 p.m. 鈥淚 think if they go15 minutes either side (of the hour), especially on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, they may be okay,鈥 Mr. Notaro indicated. Information for all FSA food outlets is available at fsa.fredonia.edu.
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Fewer than 700 meals are served each day at Erie, Mr. Notaro said, far below the 1,800 at Cranston March茅 and over 3,000 in the Connections Food Court.
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Students, faculty and staff may patronize the Connections Food Court, located in the lower level of the Williams Center, as well as four Signature Caf茅 locations and Starbucks at University Commons. Workers at Erie were offered employment at other FSA facilities.
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The Erie boiler project includes removal of the old boiler system, which was fed by a central plant, and installation of a new, stand-alone system, along with some new flues.
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A temporary shutdown of Erie was unavoidable, university officials said, because the Williams Center looms as the next facility that will have to be closed so new boilers can also be installed. FSA is hopeful that Erie can re-open sometime in April, Mr. Notaro said. 鈥淲e want to make sure Erie is up and functioning before the Williams Center closes,鈥 he said.
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鈥淣ow is the best time to close Erie to allow the contractor to do all the work in the building and have it reopened in April, just in time for summer events, because the Williams Center will close the first Monday after Commencement and reopen in August,鈥 said Markus Kessler, director of facilities planning. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 want to have them both (Erie and Williams Center) closed down at the same time,鈥 he added.
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Erie鈥檚 temporary closing is reminiscent of the two years that march茅 did not operate while University Commons was under construction.
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