The State of New York awarded Fordham University a $5 million capital grant on Oct. 2 for the complete renovation of the Marketplace dining hall in the recently remodeled Joseph M. McShane, S.J. Campus Center at the Rose Hill campus. Students at Fordham Rose Hill expressed excitement for the project’s completion, which is currently set for August 2024.
The grant, bestowed by the Higher Education Capital Match Program, will cover a fraction of the costs associated with the renovation. The university has not disclosed the total funds being allocated for the space.
The new dining hall will feature nine different stations, including different dietary options like halal food, vegan alternatives and allergen-friendly meals, according to Fordham News. Construction began on Indigenous Peoples Day weekend.
Aryan Chahda, Gabelli School of Business Rose Hill ’27 (GSBRH), said he is excited at the prospect of the new dining hall due to a current dissatisfaction with the food quality on campus. He noted that the dining options at the Lincoln Center campus are better than those at the Rose Hill campus.
“It is understood by the entire campus community that ‘it’s time. Support for the project is coming from all corners of the University.” Deming Yuan, Fordham University’s dining contract liaison
Another student shared similar excitement at the renovations to Chahda. Sofia Donohue, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’25, said that while she is happy about the physical space and food option changes, she also believes the new dining hall can be a place for socializing.
“Something I loved about the dining hall was how easy it was to grab a meal with friends and catch up, whether it was a quick meal between classes or sitting in the dining hall for hours,” Donohue said.
Bob Howe, associate vice president of communications and special adviser to the president, described the renovation as a “once-in-a-lifetime project that will completely transform the space, and create a state of the art dining environment and experience for the campus community.”
Howe added that the Marketplace renovations have been underway over the span of the past decade and were sparked by several factors, including the dining halls’ inability to meet students’ needs, with the building requiring frequent and expensive repairs due to it being constructed in 1958.
“I’d like to see more healthy options — healthy, fresh food like salad and fruit is something hard to come by at Fordham.”Sofia Donohue, FCRH ’25
Deming Yuan, the university’s dining contract liaison, noted that the project is long overdue and has garnered widespread support. He highlighted that the renovated Marketplace will provide patrons with the ability to individually customize their meals as a major feature of the new dining hall, emphasizing customer comfort.
“It is understood by the entire campus community that ‘it’s time,’” he said. “Support for the project is coming from all corners of the University.”
Thomas Pustolka, Gabelli School of Business Lincoln Center ’27, said the Lincoln Center campus is “absolutely deserving” of a new dining hall as well, calling for an equal distribution of resources between the two campuses.
Students at both campuses have also noted that a wider range of cuisine offerings is needed.
“I’d like to see more healthy options — healthy, fresh food like salad and fruit is something hard to come by at Fordham,” Donohue said.
Similarly, Chahda expressed a desire for more culturally diverse food options, particularly requesting Indian cuisine and a burrito station.
Izzie Salzman, Fordham College at Lincoln Center ’27, echoed Chahda’s sentiment, noting that the current options are mostly western cuisine.
According to Howe, the university has also made dining improvements at the Lincoln Center campus. Ram Café, the Schmeltzer Dining Room and Rolls and Bowls — which recently replaced SVK Kitchen — have also seen new food options and features over the last year.
Howe noted that the funding structure for the new project at the Rose Hill campus is similar to the structure that was used for improvements at the Lincoln Center.
“The infusion of new academic, living, and dining spaces at Lincoln Center allowed for that campus to exceed its expected growth, elevating the experience of the Lincoln Center campus,” he said.
The new Rose Hill dining hall will retain its current name, the Marketplace, upon its scheduled reopening in August 2024 on the first floor of the Joseph M. McShane, S.J. Campus Center.
