DODGE CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE | DINING HALL RENOVATION
TOTAL SIZE
5,750
LOCATION
DODGE CITY, KS
DELIVERY
OWNER
DESIGN-BUILD
PUBLIC SECTOR
Dodge City Community College approached Building Solutions for a comprehensive Dining Hall renovation after funding became available, including matching funds through the College’s dining service provider. Beyond outdated aesthetics, the existing facility experienced long lines, congestion, and bottlenecks during peak meal periods. The goal was to improve food service efficiency while creating a welcoming, multipurpose environment for students, faculty, and staff.
Building Solutions redesigned the serving layout into distinct food service zones to distribute traffic and improve circulation. A central Fresh Island incorporates student meal-card check-in, salads, and sandwiches, while surrounding stations include a main serving line, an open grill with a commercial hood, and a pizza bar featuring a double pizza oven. Separate beverage and add-ins stations further disperse activity. The renovation also included new food service equipment, stainless steel worktables, and serving counters.
The design extends beyond dining to create a flexible campus gathering space for studying, socializing, and student recruitment.
A variety of seating arrangements provide different levels of interaction and privacy, including large round tables beneath suspended purple acoustic baffles, window seating, and smaller restaurant-style seating areas. New furniture, decorative lighting, updated televisions, and a statement chandelier complement flooring patterns and colors that define circulation paths and break up the large open space.
A key design challenge was minimizing disruption to the occupied floor below. Building Solutions coordinated mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems within existing soffit spaces, limiting modifications to the lower level while accommodating the new food service equipment and layout.
With approximately three months for design, coordination, estimating, and procurement, Building Solutions prepared for a fixed eight-week summer construction window. Long-lead materials were ordered early, and select components were prefabricated in advance. Through coordinated trades, self-performing crews, and careful construction sequencing, the renovated Dining Hall was completed in time to welcome students back for the fall semester.
