After years of hammering, drilling, and intricate planning, the kitchen and dining room expansion at Grebel is finally complete. It all began with the ambitious “Fill the Table” fundraising campaign, where over 1000 alumni and other donors contributed over $4.2m to expand and renovate Grebel’s kitchen and dining space.
Dining room with stairs to the chapel.
“We are pleased that the project has come in under the $8 million budget and that we’ve used little of our contingency fund,” noted Marcus Shantz.
In September 2020, the new kitchen was completed and available for use by Grebel residents. This updated area is significantly larger than the previous space and complements Grebel’s community-focused environment. “I love how bright and open it feels in the kitchen and servery thanks to the large windows that let in so much sun!” said resident Megan Gallagher.
The expanded dining room also includes a dish return area and an easy-access staircase and elevator to the chapel lobby. Additional improvements include a private dining room, pantry, storage room, staff washrooms, and a changing area built where the old kitchen used to be.
Dining room entry to the new kitchen.
Construction progress was relatively smooth—up until the pandemic struck the world by surprise. “We had numerous construction delays due to the pandemic,” Director of Operations Paul Penner said. “Near the end of the project, a significant delay developed because a Dutch factory producing parts for the dining room ceiling was shut down for several weeks due to COVID.”
Despite the many issues caused by the virus, it did give the team from Nith Valley Construction more room to operate, since only half of Grebel’s usual student body was present on campus.
“We hope to invite everyone to come and see what we’ve done together with a special event in the fall, if pandemic protocols allow,” said Director of Advancement Fred Martin.
These improvements to Grebel’s building help foster a warmer and more welcoming environment for a place where community already shines so bright.
JOIN US ON JUNE 29 AT 4:30PM FOR OUR VIRTUAL RIBBON CUTTING!
New student pantry area.
A view of the Grebel patio from the extended chapel foyer.
