On-campus venue delayed

By Nate Swinton

The pieces are starting to fall into place for the construction of the new student entertainment venue in Benson Memorial Center.

The new facility, which will take over the space previously known as Cal Fresh, is in its final design stages, according to members of the planning committee for the venue. The "new Cal Fresh," which has not been re-named, will feature beer, wine, snack food, a big-screen television and an entertainment stage.

Demolition of Cal Fresh was completed in the past week and construction of the new facility is slated to begin once the architectural plans are finalized. Matt Cameron, director of Benson and a committee member, said the goal is to have the venue open by the beginning of winter quarter.

"We're still refining the look of the place - it's 'look and feel,'" he said.

The current design calls for a "warehouse" or "unfinished" look, with cement floors and a high ceiling. Seating includes a lounge area, tables and booths and stools near a bar area.

Overall, the committee hopes the venue will have a relaxed atmosphere.

"We want it be a place where you don't have to worry about spilling anything on the floor," said committee member Jessica Williams, a senior.

As planned, the new venue will be the only place on campus to serve alcohol on a regular basis. Casey Enarson, resident district manager of Bon Appetit, said alcohol sales will be monitored by having students use Access cards to purchase drinks. Because the venue will be open at all times to all ages of students, Bon Appetite will have one manager devoted full-time to the venue and also a bouncer.

But committee members said they hope students will be attracted to the entertainment and community aspects of the facility and not the sale of alcohol.

"Alcohol is a part of the venue, but to think of it as a bar is misleading. Building relationships, that's the purpose of the room," Cameron said.

Many committee members hope the new space will be a gathering place for students of all grades.

Senior Thao La said the venue should be "an alternative to going out and partying."

When planning began last year, the committee had hoped the venue would be ready to open by September for the start of the new school year, but delays slowed the process.

One of the major delays was the design of the venue. When the first plans were drawn up, the committee rejected them because the design was too formal and asked for a more "laid back atmosphere."

Committee members said that at this point in the process coming up with the right design is more important than getting the venue open. Don Ackerland, campus architect, does not foresee any more delays to the project.

Cameron added that a celebratory event will be planned for the grand opening of the venue.