Right now, college students who are on campuses across the country have been told to adhere to social distancing and follow other safety precautions. Dining options are modified for students protection, as well.

But as Swarthmore College students follow those rules this fall, the  Swarthmore College Sharples Dining Hall Addition & Community Commons project is building with its eye on a return to eating and socializing in a communal space.

The project will add 40,000 square feet to the dining hall, in an attempt to meet the needs of a growing student population and more dining options. It will also create a communal space for staff and students to relax and socialize. Construction is underway.

Demolition of the Phi Psi building at 5 Sharples Lane is complete, and the excavation for the basement space is underway.  The design aims to be a net-zero building. When completed, that basement can be the location for  a geothermal exchange plant to service the entire campus, which would allow the college to act toward its goal of transitioning away from the use of fossil fuels for heating and cooling campus buildings.

Phase 1 of this two-phased project, the completion of the dining hall addition, is expected to be done in June 2022. The entire project has an anticipated completion date of August 2023.