In February, the River Front Center, located on the north side of campus, flooded after a plumbing leak was discovered in the crawlspace underneath the center’s floor.

When the center first flooded on Feb. 12, it was not known how long the center would be closed. According to Sacramento State’s Dining Services website, initial reports suggested it would be at least “several more days, and could extend longer,” before everything was ready to go.

When I first discovered the center had closed down due to floods, I figured it would take a few days to get things fixed and was not aware at the amount of damage that had been done. Naturally, I was disappointed as a couple weeks went by, and the center remained closed.

Fifteen days later, the River Front Center reopened. Considering the amount of damage that had been done, that’s pretty impressive.

Celexsy Adame, marketing services director for University Enterprises, Inc., said the closure may have caused students to shift their habits a little bit.

“This occurred near the beginning of the semester, just when students were getting into a regular routine of choosing where to eat, study or hang out,” Adame said. “Because all of the food establishments in the River Front Center are open and in full swing, students can come back to the River Front Center in the same way they did before.”

The River Front Center’s food court houses seven vendors: Hula Dog at the Pub, GBX!, Kung Fu Fat’s Asian Marketplace, Mego, Miyagi Sushi, Mother India Express and Togo’s.

Daryn Ockey, the assistant director of facility resources, said to get everything repaired, the water had to be pumped out and an industrial hygienist had to assess the area to make sure it was safe to enter. After this, the contractors had to remove and reinstall about 800 feet of pipe and replace two floor sinks.

“Two weeks is actually quite a quick turnaround for a job of this size and complexity,” Ockey said.

What worries me about this situation is that while the center was closed, the campus lost a lot of business – around $150,000. In a poor economy, that is the last thing we need.

I feared it could have gotten to the point that, due to the losses, other services around campus would become more expensive, such as food, books or parking. I thought each day, as the center was closed, the losses would keep piling up and it would be the students that would pay the price.

Adame said most of the vendors in the River Front Center are private contractors.

Students were still able to eat at Kung Fu Fat’s and Gordito Burrito in other locations on campus. Employees of these eateries were transferred to those locations, Adame said.

Employees of Togo’s were sent to other units on campus, such as the Dining Commons and University Catering. Mego and Miyagi Sushi were not able to continue business operations, but no employees were laid off, Adame said.

With the River Front Center back open, the campus benefits. Students can go back to their normal dining routines and the campus won’t have to worry about losing drastic amounts of money.

Kyle Kershner can be reached at [email protected]