CLU recently started construction on the new environmentally friendly dining facility, the Ullman Commons.

The Ullman Commons’ estimated time of completion is January of 2014. The 19,050 square foot building will have two floors and cost $15 million.

On the first floor there will be a coffee shop and lounge that  will be open from 7 a.m. until midnight. There will also be kitchen facilities, a conference center and private multi-purpose rooms for meetings, banquets and events. The second floor will showcase a wide selection of cuisine that includes an international station with Mongolian barbecue, Asian and vegan menus, a pizza oven, made-to-order food, a soup, salad and pasta bar, a to-go market and deli station.

“I really hope the food at the new dining commons is better than the caf and has a lot more options and prices that are a lot more reasonable,” said Cynthia Diaz, a junior at California Lutheran University.

The Ullman Commons aims to address the concerns that the other dining facility was lacking. Most students, faculty, and staff have high expectations of the new dining commons and are ready for the change.

“The current [cafeteria] is kind of old and tired. It’s time for something new,” said CLU President Chris Kimball. “To be honest, when they do tours for prospective students, they don’t take people to [the old] one. We’ve been wanting something to address that and really improve the student experience.”

The old dining facility was built in the

1960s on the east side of campus, where most of the dorms were located at the time. Over the years, CLU has expanded in size and developed its north and west campus.

Ryan Van Ommeren, the associate vice president of Planning and Services at CLU, said the new dining commons is better situated to serve students.

“The [old dining facility’s] location was not appropriate for this campus,” said Van Ommeren. “The configuration is very bad. It is an uncomfortable way of dining.”

For this reason, the Ullman Commons will be off CLU’s main street, Memorial Parkway, the former location of the SUB. This location makes it accessible for students in campus housing on the west and east sides of the campus.

Alexis Avila, a senior at CLU, said the new location will be much better for students on the west side of campus.

“It’s a mission to have to go to the cafeteria sometimes,” said Avila.
Not only will the Ullman Commons have many dining choices, but it will also be environmentally friendly in order to limit waste. To make this possible, there will be a compost machine and a made to order system to limit the food waste from uneaten food.
The Ullman Commons is getting a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification on the silver level. LEED certification is a point system developed by the U.S Green Building Council to measure how eco-friendly a construction project is.

Elessandria Smith
Staff Writer
Published Sept. 19, 2012