Brand-new Grotto Commons welcomes Class of 2020
Thanks to a combination of Mercyhurst capital funds and a $2 million contribution from its food service partner, Parkhurst Dining, Mercyhurst has completed an estimated $3 million overhaul to the former Egan Dining Hall. Crews began renovations the day after graduation last May and worked right up to Aug. 19, when the dining hall—now known as Grotto Commons— reopened to serve dinner to the record incoming Class of 2020. More work over the holiday break further streamlined trafc fow and added 50 seats to the hall’s capacity. New paint and colorful photos of students also brightened the space.
The changes make ingress and egress more accessible, scatter food stations to enhance speed and efciency, and provide seating that accommodates the gamut of diners, from the individual student who wants to sit at a high- top table and study, to groups who want to have lunch together. The dining hall is totally plugged in, from areas equipped with power- and-data backsplashes to Wi-Fi to high-defnition televisions. Also new is the Clean Plate, an allergen-free station devoted to preparing foods, such as gluten-free products, for students with allergies.
Hockey renovations revealed; men’s team founder remembered
Were he here, you can bet Chris Cuzzola’s face would light up with glee upon viewing the half-million-dollar renovation of the Mercyhurst University Ice Center. Growing up, Cuzzola excelled as an ice hockey player in travel and club programs in Erie and Bufalo. One of Mercyhurst’s most devoted alums and a recipient of the Sister Carolyn Herrmann Service Award, he is credited as both a founder and captain of the university’s frst men’s hockey team in 1986. Sadly, Chris did not get a chance to see the upgrades to the ice arena, dying unexpectedly on Dec. 1, 2016, at the age of 50. “A lot of people love Mercyhurst; I hear it all the time,” said men’s hockey coach Rick Gotkin. “But Chris Cuzzola took that love to a whole other stratosphere. He bled green and blue, and that kind of love and commitment you don’t soon forget.” And Mercyhurst won’t. Just last month, the university announced a scholarship in his name, mounted a memorial plaque in the VIP section of the ice center, and dedicated the last men’s home game of
the regular season to him. A replica of Cuzzola’s #28 jersey was also presented to his family during a private reception for friends and donors who helped make the ice center renovation project a reality. Renovations involved a total redesign of the men’s and women’s locker rooms marked by additions to each space, new custom-built wooden lockers in both the locker rooms and changing rooms, an upgraded ventilation system and an updated equipment room. There are even a few bells and whistles, key among them frosted glass insets between the locker tops and ceiling that house LED strip lighting, which can be set to diferent colors. Fresh paint within the center proper, the addition of new ofce space on the mezzanine and updates to the VIP area on the second foor completed the project. All told, the renovations cost $500,000, which was funded entirely by private donations. The latest round of renovations focused on player facilities; future fundraising is planned for improvements designed to elevate the fan experience.
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