The Driscoll Student Center’s Village Commons may undergo a major change over the summer to make way for a center for student clubs and organizations that may be called Pioneer Square.

According to Patti Helton, associate provost of Campus Life, the proposal to renovate this area is due to a decline in sales in the Village Commons dining area. Currently approval on the project is pending and no official decisions have been made.

Helton said, “There has been high demand to create better student space in the Driscoll Student Center.B

With the waning of the food services in the Village Commons it provides us with an excellent opportunity to reconfigure the space and provide lounge, programming and operating space for students and student organizations.B

At the same time we will move the more popular food offerings to the Pub so students still have many of the options that the Village Commons offered.”

With the opening of the Nagel Hall dining room this year more dining options are available to students, so there is less demand for dining in Driscoll.

“The food service demand in the Village Commons has subsequently dropped considerably and the Food Service Committee wants to reduce the food service options in Driscoll to more appropriately meet the demand,” said Helton.

Another reason for the closure of the commons area are the many requests by students for more student-dedicated space.

According to Monica Kumar, president of AUSA, the Campus Activities and the Driscoll Student Center staff members are working with members of AUSA to brainstorm ideas about what they would like to see in the space for students next year.

Among other things being considered is the name change to Pioneer Square for the remodeled area. The name change still needs approval.

The renovations for this area will be minor changes for next year because there is a proposal for a major renovation of Driscoll that has been set aside temporarily.

“We don’t anticipate a major renovation – as this area is anticipating a significant overhaul as part of the upcoming Academic Commons project,” said Helton

If the project is approved, John Nichols, director of the Driscoll Student Center will oversee the changes to the area. According to Helton, changes in the area are hoped to take place this summer so that the new student area will be ready for use Fall Quarter of 2009.