A construction worker continues renovations on W.G. Pearson Cafeteria. (Photo:Savin Joseph/Echo Staff photographer)

If all goes according to plan, next fall, students will be eating in the new W.G. Pearson Cafeteria.

The cafe, designed by Moody Nolan and his redesign team, will be complete at the end of April 2008.

“With putting all the staff and training into order the cafeteria will not open until next school term,” said Donny Batten, project manager for the redesign of the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was originally supposed to be complete by November 2007 but because of a delayed start time the completion of the cafe will take longer than expected.

According to Batten, the struggle with the cost of materials rising and change orders has also played a part in delaying the completion of the cafe.This problem has also caused the project to run $9.5 million over budget.

Jumping their hardest hurdle, getting approval from the state construction office, the department of insurance, and the University, the redesign team has now moved into their construction phase.

“No changes have been made to the original design of the cafeteria,” said Batten.

The newly designed cafe will be expanded to 50,000 sq. ft., from its previous 26,986 sq. ft.

The cafe will have high glass walls, skylights, a cyber cafe and a convenience store.

There will also be an underground walkway connecting different levels of the building.

According to Tim Moore, director of student services, “The cyber cafe is based on a sit down with wireless connections for the students.”

Until the cafe redesign is complete, students will be hiking east across campus to eat at the trailers on Chidley Hall’s parking lot.

The trailers are leased by Sodexho, which caters the menu in the cafeteria.

“We have a contract on the trailers until July or August next year and if there is any delay we have to extend the contract,” said Batten.

According to Batten, if there is any delay in the completion of the cafe, the trailers will undergo a change order and be rented out on a month-to-month basis.

Batten said they plan to keep the same number of trailers until the cafe is completed. Batten also said the goal is to keep on schedule as close as possible and I believe that we can do it.

“This going to be a beautiful cafeteria,” said Moore. Next year, students will finally get a chance to see how beautiful it is.