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Landon Hall finally has "grand opening" a semester later

January 28, 2015
<p>Students eat lunch in the newly renovated Heritage Commons at Landon on Sept. 2, 2014. Landon Hall just opened for the fall semester after being closed for major renovations during the 2013-2014 academic year. Jessalyn Tamez/The State News. </p>

Students eat lunch in the newly renovated Heritage Commons at Landon on Sept. 2, 2014. Landon Hall just opened for the fall semester after being closed for major renovations during the 2013-2014 academic year. Jessalyn Tamez/The State News.

Photo by Jessalyn Tamez | The State News

The hall had not been renovated since it was built in the late ’40s along with most of North Neighborhood.

The entire hall was offline from May 2013 to August 2014. The 14-month closure allowed for remodelling of the entire hall.

The updated dining hall, Heritage Commons, contains four food venues — Global Flavors, Grains and Greens, Landon Bistro and Sizzle. It received new equipment and modernized facilities to bring the menu and food services up to date.

The dining hall was not the only area under construction in Landon. Several residential spaces and common areas were also updated.

The historical aspect of Landon often reminds students of older, gothic-style living quarters.

“It reminds me of the Great Hall in the Harry Potter films,” Residence Education and Housing Services director Kathy Collins said.

Even though the hall is older, its history is of great importance to REHS and Culinary Services.

“We really wanted to protect the integrity, look and feel of North Neighborhood,” Culinary Services director Guy Procopio said.

The renovations, along with the atmosphere, has brought new found popularity to North Neighborhood. Nearly all of North Neighborhood has been updated, which has caused jumps in housing numbers.

Heritage Commons is the sixth of seven major renovations since the 2009 Dining Master Plan. The seventh was The Edge at Akers Hall , which opened this month.

The renovations of the past few years in dining and living halls has brought about overall higher satisfaction on campus, according to surveys done by REHS.

The National Association of College and University Food Services is the platform used by MSU culinary services for surveys about campus dining halls.

“Our customer satisfaction is at an all-time high, not only for MSU campus, but on a national level.” Procopio said.

The customer satisfaction and important renovations have been put in mind to consider future Spartans, Collins said.

“There is so much positive momentum going on campus right now,” Collins said. “It’s a great time to be a Spartan.”

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