The end of Central Campus construction is in sight.
If weather permits, the Mill Village and the The Devil’s Bistro—the long-anticipated Central Campus diner—will be completed and open to students in early April, said Associate Dean for Residential Life Joe Gonzalez. The opening will follow about eight months of construction and weeks of delay.
The four buildings in the Mill Village will be comprised of the new Uncle Harry’s general store, an exercise facility, an activity center and a conference room. A courtyard will be enclosed by the facilities. Devil’s Bistro will be located at the former location of Uncle Harry’s, the store which closed last June.
Termite damage and a harsh winter in Durham were the biggest factors in the delays, said Steve Nowicki, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education.
“The original concept was to renovate the building that the old Uncle Harry’s was in,” he said. “When the engineers went in to renovate, however, they found extensive termite damage—so we couldn’t renovate, we had to rebuild.”
Nowicki said the greatest cost of the Central project was not financial, but a time cost and its impact on student life.
“My vote was to have the restaurant open in the Fall—realistically, the very end of the Fall semester,” he said. “Having to tear down the old building added a couple of months.”
Several students have voiced complaints concerning the Central construction delays. Senior Caroline Hanson said the delays will prevent her from experiencing the full benefits of Mill Village before she graduates.
“It’s annoying” she said. “It was supposed to be done when we got back from winter break—it’s been extended so many times.”
Starting from scratch, however, can also be a blessing in disguise, as it allowed the construction of better facilities and flexibility with building design, Nowicki said.
After the discovery of termites prolonged construction last September, unexpected weather pushed the already-delayed opening date from March 1 to March 19 and most recently, to April 2.
“Weather has unfortunately impacted the construction schedule in a very detrimental way” Gonzalez said. “We had consistent rainfall throughout the winter and there are certain types of work that can’t be done in those conditions.”
Officials from LeChase Construction Inc., the company tasked with Central renovations, could not be reached for comment. LeChase was also the construction company in charge of last year’s renovations to Few Quadrangle on West Campus.
Prolonged construction has done more than just disappoint students. Senior Reza Parang said construction has interfered with parking and has been an annoyance with constant noise from vacuums and pumps.
“[Mill Village] looks good though,” he said. “Too bad half the people will be gone by the time it’s finished.”
Other students, however, have more specific criticisms. Senior Jordan Fuson said she cares little about the restaurant.
“I care about the grocery store being so small,” she said.
The administration has acknowledged the disappointment resulting from postponing the grand opening. Officials have, however, expressed their appreciation for students’ patience, Gonzalez said.
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