Caf repair nearly complete

After more than a week of construction and upheaval, the MVNU cafeteria should return to normal within the next few days.

Last Monday a break in the pipe running below the floor of the left side of the cafeteria forced University administrators to close half the cafeteria for emergency repairs. Restrooms in the building were closed for several days and about a third of the seating in the caf was lost while the area was blocked off for repairs.

According to Director of Food Services Rob Stiltner, the new pipe was installed last Friday enabling facilities to restore water to Hyson Campus Center and reopen the restrooms. The concrete was poured on Saturday and new carpet will be installed in the next few days.

After the carpet is laid, the area will be deep cleaned and the plastic removed.

“We will then put tables back to where they go and if all goes well, we should be back to normal” by Thursday or Friday, Stiltner said.

The construction project went as planned, without any surprises or hiccups along the way.

“The break and blockage were in the area we expected,” said Assistant Director of Facilities Operations Russell Bray. “We were able to take advantage of the exposed pipe and replace a larger section.”

Though the project was not cheap, MVNU budgets for projects and “expects the unexpected to happen,” said Bray.

He believes the emergency project was caught early enough that MVNU was saved from more costly repairs in the future.

“Part of our maintenance program is to regularly examine existing building systems, identify issues before they become problems and manage repairs proactively,” Bray said.

Bray recognizes that some maintenance issues cause inconveniences that are impossible to avoid, like the cafeteria, but many have been managed “without any disruption to the campus community.”

As always, Bray and his team will use the summer months to concentrate on repairing and replacing the old and worn systems while students are home.

Until then they will work to manage and improve the campus facilities as needed.

“I am thankful to work in a community of grace and encouragement,” Bray said. “The generosity of our campus was evident to the facilities staff and our contractors.”

Stiltner also expressed his appreciation to the Pioneer College Caterers staff and the campus community as a whole for “dealing with the unknown.”

“I can’t tell you how grateful we all are for all the students to have adjusted to the inconvenience the way they did,” Stiltner said.