Noble Romans Pizza is being replaced with Famous Famiglia Pizzeria and renovations are currently underway on the space in the food court.

By Rebecca Wyatt, OU Web Writer

A number of renovation projects are going on in the Oakland Center, OU’s student union. A new pizza concept will be added to the Pioneer Food Court, two meeting rooms will be renovated, a bookstore outlet will be installed on the first floor and, later this fall, the Oakland University Bookstore will undergo a major update.

A number of changes took place this summer in the Pioneer Food Court. Noble Romans Pizza is being replaced with Famous Famiglia Pizzeria and construction is currently underway on the space, providing a more customer-centered feel.

“We had a taste-test of the product on campus and we received really positive feedback,” said Richard Fekel, director of the Oakland Center.

The new concept uses special water shipped directly from New York to make the dough, and a traditional-style pizza oven cook the pizza. Famous Famiglia, the first in Michigan, sells the specialty pizzas in slices rather than individual pan pizzas and will also sell pizza and salad combos.

“Famous Famiglia will offer a lot more variety that is based on quality and fresh ingredients,” said Fekel.

Coyote Jacks, the hamburger concept in the food court, will be increasing its menu offerings this fall, and the location will also be receive a facelift to improve its look and service options.

The Oakland and Heritage meeting rooms are also being renovated. Last year, the Gold Rooms were renovated and the response from the campus community was positive, so the Oakland and Heritage rooms will be remodeled in a similar fashion. The renovations include vinyl wall covers, new chairs, cherry wood trim, new blinds that include blackout blinds, built-in video projectors and new carpet. The renovations are expected to be completed by mid-September.

Students looking to take a break between classes will find the TV lounge in the lower level of the Oakland Center has a new feel. The furniture has been replaced with more comfortable lounge furniture.

Construction is also underway on The Book Nook, located on the first floor of the Oakland Center.

“We feel this will really warm up an unused portion of the building and provide students a place to quickly purchase pencils, scantrons or other supplies on their way to class,” said Fekel.

After the fall book rush, the Oakland University Bookstore located on the lower level of the Oakland Center will undergo renovations to improve the flow and feel of the store.

“The renovations of the bookstore will provide a nice facelift to the store and make it easier for students to navigate during the busy times of the year,” said Fekel.

As part of a new contract, Barnes and Noble has agreed to fund the renovations and the cost of adding The Book Nook to the Oakland Center, at a cost of $550,000.

The bookstore renovations will include a new layout to the store, replacing the current design with one that has a more open feel.

“There will be a wide main aisle through the center of the store and every department will touch it,” said Debbie Ogg, Oakland University Bookstore manager. “As a shopper, you will be able to move through the store more easily and with more of a flow.”

For more information on the hours of operation or services and resources available in the Oakland Center, visit the Oakland Center Web site.