The Blue & Gold Club, a members-only fine dining club serving alumni, faculty, staff, parents and students at the university will remain open for special events beginning in September with the fall semester, according to university officials..
This announcement comes despite the club's recent decision to close July 1 due to a decrease in membership, an operating deficit and the rising costs associated with maintaining the building.
"We wanted to make sure this beautiful historic building was still available to the university community," Margot Carroll, associate vice president of administrative services for the club, said.
Carroll said special events include catering and staff support. The club, established in 1971, will open for events like weddings and retirement parties.
The university is also considering long-term plans for using the facility, although those plans are yet to be determined, she said.
To utilize the club, customers will be charged a rental fee along with the normal costs associated with holding a catered event. In addition, prices could vary depending on the size and duration of the event.
The Blue & Gold Club was donated to the university in 1966 by Mr. and Mrs. E. Brinton Wright and served as a temporary administrative office, a residence hall for women and a student infirmary before turning into a members-only fine dining restaurant.
Robert Nelson, chairperson of the HRIM department, said students are saddened to see the club close for public dining.
"I see it as one of the many difficult, yet prudent, decisions that university administrators are having to make in the face of shrinking budgets," Nelson said.
Carroll said she believes the club can also function as a place to hold alumni dinners or catered luncheons. It acts as a nice location for on-campus formal or semi-formal events, she said.
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