Homeplate, which typically serves Dartmouth summer campers, will move to Alumni Hall, according to Newlove. DDS will rent space in the Hanover Inn kitchen to prepare the food previously prepared in Homeplate.
The 14-month renovations to Thayer, funded by a $12 million donation from the Class of 1953, will begin in June and continue through September 2011 with the goal of updating the building and bringing it up to code, according to Newlove.
Topside's new location in the basement of Collis is one-third the size of its current location on the top floor of Thayer, according to Newlove, although the convenience store will employ the same number of students as in previous Summers. Topside will remain in Collis until the renovations of Thayer are completed.
In contrast to previous Summers when Collis Cafe has been closed for dinner, the dining area will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Thursday, and breakfast and lunch on Fridays next term. Collis Late Night will be open Sunday through Thursday, according to Newlove.
Several students interviewed by The Dartmouth expressed concern over the limited options offered by the Courtyard Cafe in comparison to Food Court, as well as the difference in sensitivity to allergies between the two dining establishments.
"As someone who has allergies, the Hop is terrible at [accommodating for allergies]," Robert Greer '11 said. "Foco is very good at accommodating."
Greer was on campus last Summer and will be again this Summer.
DDS will increase food options at the Courtyard Cafe for the Summer by adding additional entrees and a salad bar, Newlove said. Additional seating will also be provided outside under a canopy, according to acting Associate Director of Dining Services Don Reed.
Food Court and Homeplate will reopen for the 2010 Fall term. Pavilion will maintain its kosher kitchens in the Fall but will serve out of Homeplate. Details for the 2011 Winter and Spring terms will not be finalized until the specific phases of construction are determined, Newlove said.
Construction will include mechanical, electrical and plumbing changes, as well as asbestos abatement and some structural modification, according to Newlove.
"About 90 to 95 percent of the building has to be abated," Reed said.
A 250-ton air conditioning unit will also be installed on the roof of Thayer, according to Newlove.
"This building becomes unbearable in the summer," he said, adding that the kitchens can reach temperatures of up to 110 degrees.
Earl Sweet, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 560, agreed that the addition of the air-conditioning unit will be an improvement.
"That'll be a big change for everybody, and a good, positive change," he said.
Renovations will also include improvements in insulation, which will result in "massive strides in energy efficiency," Newlove said.
Thayer employees will move to the Courtyard Cafe for the Summer, and any staff openings will be offered to nine-month Courtyard Cafe employees in order of seniority, Newlove said. The College will employ the same number of dining workers normally employed during Summer term, Newlove said.
College administrators have done a "very good job" of communicating the details of the dining hall changes to dining services workers, according to Sweet. He described the College's plans regarding Thayer Dining Hall as the "most transparent" process he has seen at the College.
The donation from the Class of 1953 was originally allocated for the construction of a new dining and social facility near the McLaughlin cluster, The Dartmouth previously reported, but College President Jim Yong Kim announced in January that the money would go to renovations of Thayer instead.
Administrators will work with a Student Assembly committee to communicate the information about the new plans to the student body, according to Newlove.
An Assembly committee has already been formed with representatives from each class, Newlove said.
