Cleanup process of Coker University’s dining hall starts; renovations will take ‘some time’

HARTSVILLE, S.C. (WBTW) — The cleanup process of Coker University’s dining hall commenced on Monday after a pipe burst last month, school officials said on Thursday.

The next phase of the dining hall solution includes installing a mobile kitchen and a climate-controlled dining tent on the lawn in front of the DeLoach Center, officials said. The operational costs for the temporary solution are estimated to be about $2 million.

“Our insurance adjusters, architects, and city officials have confirmed that we can proceed with restoration and cleaning efforts,” the university said in a news release. “We anticipate the dining hall renovation will take some time and will cost several million dollars. While we are insured for this incident, immediate direct costs for temporary solutions have begun — averaging around $200,000 per month.”

31 students were relocated as a result of the incident. As a temporary measure, meals are being served from the Coker Grill (formerly WOW Cafe) located in the Student Union Building and a tent has been constructed outside the building to provide additional seating.

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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here .

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