Renovations vause Dining Services; PennCard offices to change location

After seven years at 3401 Walnut Street, the offices of the University's Hospitality Services moved to the second floor of the 40th Street shopping mall last week. Hospitality Services -- which includes the University's Dining Service, PennCard offices, as well as the catering and vending services -- changed location to accommodate renovations to College Hall. The renovations also made it necessary for President Judith Rodin to move her office upstairs to the third floor of College Hall, where the History Department of the College of Arts and Sciences is currently located. The History Department will take over the offices at 3401 Walnut. "We're an auxiliary enterprise, moving at the behest of the University," said Don Jacobs, the Executive Director of Hospitality Services. But he added that he was not dissatisfied with the move, and that the new location will contain approximately the same amount of office space as the 3401 location. The new offices, situated directly above the Burger King Restaurant at the corner of 40th and Walnut, will cost Hospitality Services about $50,000 less rent a year. And this move helped students, too, because the savings was a major factor in the decision to keep the cost of next year's meal contracts at the same level as this year. "The rent is considerably cheaper, and part of my job description is to not cost the University a nickel," said Jacobs, whose operation is financially independent of the University. But unlike the 3401 location, which would have cost about $200,000 a year in rent, Hospitality Services will have to pay for utilities at the new location, Jacobs said. Jacobs said that the new location will probably have both a positive and negative effect on the number of students who will sign up for meal plans. "We're farther from the center of campus, but we're also closer to a lot more of the dorms," Jacobs said. He added that the Dining Service offices of almost all the other Ivy League schools are on the outskirts of campus. Dining Services Director Bill Canney said he hoped the new location would encourage more students living off-campus to sign a meal contract. "When we moved seven years ago from 1920 Commons to 3401 Walnut, I thought it might hurt us, but in fact the number of students on meal plan went up." said Canney. "Hopefully this move will have the same effect." However, Jacobs said he was surprised by the different atmosphere surrounding the new location at 40th and Walnut. "I was shocked at first by the seediness of the area," said Jacobs. "But I think having more offices and people here will make the area safer." This move is the fourth for Dining Services since 1975, and neither Canney nor Jacobs knew how permanent their new location would be. "How long will we stay -- it doesn't enter my thoughts, nor should it," Jacobs said.

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