New Student Life Center to Open Feb. 16

CORTLAND, NY (01/22/2015)(readMedia)-- The Bistro Off Broadway, the new dining facility in SUNY Cortland's new Student Life Center, will open officially as scheduled on Friday, Jan. 23, but the larger wing that includes the building's wide array of recreational activities will not open until Monday, Feb. 16.

The three-week delay was caused by issues related to the Nov. 25 natural gas explosion on the construction site that damaged sections of the building and temporarily halted work.

Students, faculty and staff will continue to have access to most current recreational facilities, although availability will be limited as staff and equipment are moved into the new, nearly 150,000-square-foot structure.

"Both the construction team and our staff have worked valiantly to get this building ready for our students at the earliest possible date," College President Erik J. Bitterbaum said. "I am happy to report that students returning for the spring semester will have immediate access to a brand new dining experience, and only a short wait for a recreational facility unlike anything else in the SUNY system."

By Feb. 16, almost all features of the Student Life Center are scheduled to be available. They include the suspended jogging track, cardio fitness area, circuit and free weight area, climbing wall, bouldering wall, group exercise room, combatives room, equipment issue area, functional training room, three-court gym, multi-activity court, outdoor pursuits center and locker rooms.

The area most affected by the explosion is not likely to open by Feb. 16 and will be temporarily walled off until early March. That area contains the spinning room, golf simulator stations and mind/body room.

Construction of the Student Life Center began two years ago, after more than a decade of planning, on the former Carl "Chugger" Davis Field on Pashley Drive. It is intended to be a new hub for student life, providing fitness, recreational, dining and social options in the center of SUNY Cortland's long, serpentine campus.

The new dining hall has already been providing meals for student athletes, resident assistants and other students who came to campus early. The Bistro Off Broadway will open officially Friday, Jan. 23, when new and transfer students arrive at SUNY Cortland. An official ribbon cutting for the 350-seat dining facility will be held Wednesday, Jan. 28.

The Bistro offers "unlimited" access through several campus meal plans. It features a cooking demonstration area and numerous on-site food preparation stations. The Bistro, scheduled to be open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, will offer a wide variety of healthy menu selections and offer options not found anywhere else on campus.

Fuel, a small retail shop featuring Starbucks coffee, energy drinks and quick foods, also will open in the Student Life Center complex, just outside the Bistro, on Friday.

-30-