The $5.5-million renovation of the Outpost restaurant on lower campus is approaching completion after months of delays, and officials say it is set to open its doors Jan. 19, a week before spring 2009 classes begin.
“The project has been a challenge to us from the get-go,” said Don Penrod, general manager and CEO of Forty-Niner Shops Inc., which runs the Outpost and other on-campus dining services.
The restaurant, located between the SSPA and engineering buildings, was originally planned to open this semester, but numerous delays pushed back the opening date.
The beginning of construction was originally delayed when Forty-Niner Shops Inc. decided to take a second round of bids after initial bids surpassed expectations. The construction crew was set back an additional 40 days when they were forced to redesign the setting of the foundation footing to go around a utility vault underneath the building site.
Most recently, construction was pushed back around two weeks after the recent rains left drywall water-damaged and in need of replacement.
Construction costs rose from the original estimate of $4 million to $5 million, Penrod said. Project pre-planning cost an additional $500,000, which amounted to a total price tag of $5.5 million.
The exterior design has also been changed to make the construction more affordable, Penrod said. For example, the windows were originally able to be opened but now won’t.
“It was a little sexier in terms of its design, and now it’s a little more utilitarian,” Penrod said.
He said the Outpost is set to reopen in its new building sometime in mid-December. The restaurant’s full-time staff has already been hired, while part-time Cal State Long Beach student employees will be hired for spring 2009.
The new building will also house a 2,000-foot convenience store, selling things like bluebooks, scantrons and other supplies.