Worcester Dining Commons Project Underway

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The new Worcester Dining Commons
Worcester Dining Commons rendering

Beginning today, a new 87,000-square-foot Worcester Dining Commons is under construction on the former site of Parking Lot 63, north of the Integrated Sciences Building (ISB) and between the current dining commons and North Pleasant Street. The new building is scheduled to be completed and in operation for the fall term of 2020.

The building will contain the new Worcester Dining Commons, a ground-floor retail food café, the commercial bakery currently located at Hampden, and a restaurant, as well as support offices for Auxiliary Enterprises. 

It will also be home to a “neighborhood center” of student spaces, with lounges, meeting rooms, a fitness center, a contemplative space and music practice rooms. 

The university is targeting LEED Gold environmental performance for the building.

The surrounding site will include replacement of Lot 63 parking, loading spaces for the dining commons, and outdoor gathering spaces.

The construction will preserve East Experiment Station, currently occupied by University of Massachusetts Press.

The existing Worcester DC will remain open and in operation throughout the construction period. It will be demolished beginning in summer 2020.

The service drive and accessible parking spaces north of the ISB will also remain open for the duration of the project.