DULUTH, Minn. — UMD's 1971 kitchen, originally designed to serve 800 students, is undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation to better serve the campus community.
The main kitchen will be located in the basement, with plans to renovate a nearby office to accommodate expansion needs. The total cost of the new kitchen is approximately $25 million. It is designed to be more efficient and incorporates new equipment. When it comes to food, the bakery will triple in size and add more grab-and-go options at various locations on campus.
“This is one of the places where students spend the most time collectively on campus. So we literally feed them with their bodies, and we also provide them with social experiences and growing and emerging adults.” We know we're nourishing them with the opportunity to become…,” said Betsy Helgesen, UMD's Director of Dining Services.
The main kitchen is expected to be completed by January or February. We employ up to 250 students annually. UMD officials say the project goes beyond the kitchen.
“We have renovated pods C and D in Griggs Hall, which will benefit the student experience. We're doing a campus-wide LED upgrade, which we're working on right now. And like every summer, we're working on a lot of maintenance projects and we're doing a lot of painting,” said UMD Facilities Management. says project manager Sam Clark.
All projects begin once students leave campus. Projects are planned and prioritized years in advance. All of them are done with the student's concentration in mind.
