The WKU Commons at Helm Library will open at 7:30 a.m. on April 18 after construction issues caused the opening to be delayed several times. 

“We initially broke ground on The Commons with a target opening date of fall 2021,” WKU President Timothy Caboni said in an email to faculty and students. “However, progress slowed as a global pandemic altered nearly every aspect of our lives and led to unprecedented workforce challenges and materials shortages. While we quickly adapted to provide novel dining and study options at the top of The Hill, we all experienced the shared disappointment of not having access to The Commons as soon as we had planned.”

Back in February, Caboni shared some of the supply chain struggles that were plaguing the Common’s construction. Due to the impacts of the pandemic, materials and parts arriving from Germany that were integral to the building’s construction were delayed.

“We started that project before anybody even knew what COVID was,” Caboni said in his meeting with the Herald.  “There were things that we put in the building, at least in this design, that came from Germany, that were really important to the building. All of a sudden, COVID hits, and we can’t get the stuff from Germany.”

The dining options include Rising Rolls, Spencer’s, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Panda Express. 

Content Editor Debra Murray can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @debramurrayy.