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KANSAS CITY, Missouri (May 17, 2017) — Park University students attending its flagship campus in Parkville, Missouri, will soon have upgraded food service facilities and new amenities in renovated contemporary space in Thompson Commons, the student activity center at the University.

Burns & McDonnell has begun a comprehensive $3 million remodel of 8,800 square feet of space in Thompson Commons. The remodel project will address more than half the available space within the building. Work will begin on the first floor with installation of a variety of mechanical systems, including a new variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system to upgrade and improve heating, ventilation and cooling within the building as it is detached from the legacy campus-wide steam heating system. VRFs use refrigerant to both heat and cool by relying on a rooftop condensing unit to circulate air within the building. These state-of-the-art systems feature individual indoor units that heat or cool as required, saving up to 55 percent over comparable equipment while giving building occupants greater control over interior temperatures.

As classes conclude for the spring semester, the project will move to the second floor where existing food service and seating in the Pirate Café will be redesigned and updated. Over the summer months, serving areas will be reconfigured to feature interactive food stations as menu options are expanded. Expanded seating for up to 240 diners will be part of the remodel, incorporating bar tops and a variety of other seating configurations, all integrated with vibrant new color schemes and materials in a new contemporary space. The food service upgrade is scheduled to be completed in August, in time for the beginning of the 2017 fall semester.

“We are honored and thrilled to have been selected by Park University to work with them to improve and beautify a facility that has long been at the center of student life for this iconic institution,” says Greg Carlson, vice president of commercial construction for Burns & McDonnell. 

“The renovation of Thompson Commons and the Pirate Café supports Park University’s commitment to student life and engagement,” said Jayme Uden, Ed.D., associate vice president and dean of students at Park. “The services and programs in Thompson Commons will greatly benefit from these upgrades and will have a grander ability to impact student retention and success. We are very appreciative that Burns & McDonnell are partnering in this important endeavor.”

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies made up of more than 5,700 engineers, architects, construction professionals, scientists, consultants and entrepreneurs with offices across the country and throughout the world. We strive to create amazing success for our clients and amazing careers for our employee-owners. Burns & McDonnell is 100 percent employee-owned and is proud to be No. 16 on Fortune’s 2017 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For.