Originally published 8/18/14

Over the summer, construction was wrapped up on two main buildings on the Allendale Campus at Grand Valley State University. This fall, new and returning students will once again have access to Kleiner Commons and the James H. Zumberge Hall.

Kleiner Commons

After several months of remodeling, the campus dining location Kleiner is opening its doors today to students, faculty and staff at GVSU. The 18,000-square-foot expansion of the building is the second renovation since the building opened in 1989 and includes additional seating and menu options.

Among the changes is the inclusion of a national brand at Kleiner, Qdoba National Grill. In addition to Qdoba, Kleiner will now have six dining locations inside the Market, compared to four previously. The selections include:

• Bene: Freshly made pizzas and breadsticks
• Croutons: Customized salads offering a variety of toppings and dressings
• Grille Works: Burgers, chicken tenders, fries and more
• Montague’s Deli: Made-to-order deli sandwiches and subs
• Centerplate: A rotating menu of international and Mediterranean dishes
• Bistro: A round fire oven serving a variety of baked entrees

Centerplate and Bistro are new to the building and their menus will rotate daily. The Crouton’s salad station, which was added last fall, was upgraded to provide more topping options. A few items on Qdoba’s menu are made-to-order burritos, nachos, chips and queso, tortilla soup and Mexican Gumbo.

The expanded venue can now hold almost 500 students, doubling the seating of the original layout. The added second floor includes food venues, more seating, additional study space for students and room for faculty and administrative support offices.

“This renovation has greatly enhanced circulation through the serving and seating area, expanded menu variety and offers additional seating – all providing a better guest experience,” said Deb Rambadt, the Campus Dining marketing manager.

Campus Dining hopes the expansion and upgrades will drive more students, faculty and staff to Kleiner to help lighten traffic in other parts of campus. The GVSU community is invited to the grand opening event, which will take place on Sept. 18. It will include samples, games, giveaways and more.

“Kleiner’s renovation and expansion was due in part to the growing student population,” said Tom Minor, the Campus Dining general manager. “This upgrade will offer better traffic flow and is more comfortable for both on campus residents and commuters to visit the location.”

The expansion is the first phase of the renovations at Kleiner. The second phase is scheduled to be completed for Fall 2015. The remodeling was unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees on Nov. 1, 2013 and will cost $6 million for both phases. Campus Dining funds will cover $4 million and the remaining $2 million is coming from the university’s general fund. The general fund will also cover any further expenses that may occur.

The Market at Kleiner will continue to be cashless. Meals, Dining Dollars, debit and credit will be accepted as payment. Cash customers can purchase gift cards from the Kleiner C-Store to use at the Market. Qdoba will accept Dining Dollars, debit, credit and cash as payment.

Hours and menus for Kleiner can be viewed at www.gvsufood.com. For more information call the Campus Dining office at (616) 331-3016.

James H. Zumberge Hall

Over the summer, Zumberge Library finished its transition to the new Zumberge Hall. Rather than rows of books, visitors will now find administrative departments and offices.

The $22 million project was funded through university-issued bonds and Campus Development Funds. The library officially closed April 27 after serving more than 20 years as a study spot for students. Since then, the building has been expanded to almost 95,000 square feet and administrative offices have been relocated to the hall. Students can now find resources such as Institutional Marketing, Human Resources and Student Accounts in one central location.  

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