Rodgers provides construction services for first LEED project at East Carolina University

July 31, 2010 – Updated food venues, new options on campus (reprinted from ECU News Services, The Daily Reflector)

The Croatan that East Carolina University alumni remember is no more. In its location, a new Croatan has taken shape and is on track to open in January. Workers were busy last week putting up sheetrock and preparing to lay the tile flooring and to begin the finish work. The project aims to meet students’ tastes and the need for more dining options throughout campus as the student population grows. Demolition of the Croatan began in June 2009.

The new Croatan will house two food service offerings: Chili’s Too and an expanded, full-service Chick-fil-A. Private and public dining areas will be available on the first floor. The second floor will house Chili’s Too, where customers can order at a counter and dine in a restaurant seating area. There also will be a private dining area upstairs that can be reserved by faculty, staff or students. The structure will be the first LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certified building on campus. LEED ratings measure the environmental sustainability of a building. Special lighting, water cisterns in the courtyard and ecologically friendly landscaping are planned. The contractor for the project is Rodgers from Charlotte.

“It is going really, really well,” Gina Shoemaker, interim assistant director for ECU engineering and architectural services, said. “One interesting component of this project is that the bricks on the outside the building are reclaimed bricks from a demolished North Carolina tobacco warehouse. That is part of the LEED accreditation, and they are a great addition.”