Construction and renovations this summer have been plentiful and will continue through the next school year and beyond.

ISU Dining facilities have continued to be on the top of the construction list with many renovations being done at the Memorial Union, among others.

With the fall semester creeping closer, ISU Dining staff members are looking for ways to allow students to get from Point A to Point B quickly, while sneaking in a bite to eat along their traveled paths – and not being late to class because of it.

Nancy Levandowski, director of ISU Dining, is working on ways to solve “food conflict,” that is, the long entrance lines and limited seating students often find in popular campus dining facilities such as the Union Drive Community Center.

ISU Dining may start placing food carts outside the UDCC and Beardshear Hall this fall to alleviate some of the pressure and build-up at lunchtime at the UDCC.

These carts would serve burgers and veggie burgers as well as chips, drinks and fruit, and would allow meal plans to be used, Levandowski said.

Ryan Osterberger, manager of ISU Dining, hopes these carts will help with traffic flow.

“The facility was designed for 2,100 people,” he said.

“This year, we served 2,600 a meal. Next year, we may serve 2,800 a meal. We usually serve 6,000 people a day. It is hard to accommodate.”

The plans for renovations will continue through the next four years. Just this summer, the Memorial Union underwent construction and two new places to eat, Cy’s and Fries and World Bistro, were implemented by the food court.

Cy’s and Fries will be serving fresh, never-frozen burgers. World Bistro will be focusing on choices such as pizza, calzones, soups and fresh vegetables.

“We have flexibility of food offerings in the World Bistro area, an improvement in service speed and equipment changes,” Levandowski stated in a press release.

In addition to the Memorial Union, the Wallace-Wilson dorms expanded with ISU Dining. A convenience store called the Southside C-Store was added, which is similar to those at Maple-Willow-Larch [MWL] and the UDCC. The C-Store will open Aug. 19.

On Aug. 6, the MU food court opened for dining. Onions, the convenience store, and the MU Caf‚ are combining and renovations there will continue through February 2008.

Also on Aug. 6, the Hub began new renovations. The work is scheduled to be done by spring semester 2008, Levandowski said.

Looking even further into the future, ISU Dining will be incorporating a new design and layout for the MWL commons and C-Store, beginning June 2008, right after the spring semester has ended.

ISU Dining is trying to integrate a new, unique project for these commons to attract students.

The focus at MWL will be a hickory barbecue stop with smoked meats and sandwiches.

This renovation will not be completed by the start of a new school year, so during this time of construction, the Linden commons will be opened.

Levandowski’s hope is for the convenience store in MWL to be completed before Thanksgiving 2008, but definitely before semester finals.

Once MWL’s makeover is finished, the renovations will move to the Oak-Elm dining facilities. Once again, Levandowski is hoping to integrate something fresh and unique to the dining center.

Oak-Elm will probably be host to a bakery and ice cream shop.

These renovations will not start until spring 2009.

Starting in 2010, renovations for the Design Caf‚ will begin. The plan is to expand the space. Also, a new cafe may be put in the engineering building.

Levandowski, who has planned all of these renovations and makeovers, is always on the move.

“I stay busy,” she said with a laugh.

She still has to get some of the renovations approved, but her work will be constant and continuous until ISU Dining services are easier and more beneficial to college students.