PULLMAN, Wash. – The existing restaurant in the Compton Union Building on the Pullman campus will be transformed into a social lounge with food service following the end of this academic year. Until then, Dupus Boomers will operate as normal.
At Friday’s meeting in Pullman, the Board of Regents of Washington State University approved a proposal that would allocate $1.65 million from CUB reserve funds to buy out the existing lease from Dupus Boomers Restaurant, LLC and the improvements the restaurant owners made when they began operations in 2008.
Earlier this academic year, the owners of Dupus Boomers approached university officials with plans to close the restaurant and asked if the university would be interested in buying out the lease and the approximately $3.5 million in improvements in furnishings and kitchen equipment that restaurant owners made.
John Fraire, vice president of enrollment and student affairs, said the restaurant will be converted into an area where students, faculty and staff can gather, talk and relax. Seating will be available for 100-150 people. Coffee and sandwiches will be sold at counters; alcohol will not be served.
The area will be operated by Dining Services and the CUB.
Fraire said more gathering spaces are needed in the CUB, especially in times of high student traffic.
In other action, the board approved plans to move WSU West offices in Seattle from 520 Pike St. to 901 5th Ave. The move would provide WSU West with more space, better configured offices, more convenient parking and access to a large conference room at a net savings of $190,000 over the next 10 years when compared to current costs.
WSU West houses personnel from the WSU Foundation, athletics, economic development, legislative affairs and several academic colleges. The move will be made before WSU West’s lease expires on Sept. 30.
The board also approved a new agreement between the university and the WSU Alumni Association, which, in part, spells out the role the association may play in lobbying activities in its independent capacity in support of the university, while specifying that neither public funds nor resources, including university employees, will be used or engaged in such activities.
The board’s next meeting will be May 4 in Pullman.