A rendering provided by Kirksey Architecture shows what Stephen F. Austin State University’s new dining facility will look like when it’s completed in 2025. In a recent campus-wide vote hosted by SFA’s Student Government Association, students selected Pineywoods Dining as the new facility’s name.
Pineywoods Dining emerged as the top choice, beating out two other contenders: Pine Grove Eatery and Timber Pines.
“Our Student Government Association did a great job choosing the final three names to present to students, and it was incredible to see such strong student engagement in a vote that will leave a lasting mark on our university,” said Dr. Hollie Smith, executive director of Student Life. “We hope years from now when these students return to campus as alumni, they’ll remember fondly the part they played in the naming of this new building.”
The vote, which took place in early October, invited students to help shape the identity of the new dining hall. The name Pineywoods Dining reflects the university’s deep connection to the East Texas piney woods region and the surrounding natural beauty.
The dining hall, which is part of a broader effort to enhance campus life, is on track for completion in late spring 2025. While the name selection marks an exciting milestone, significant construction work remains before the building opens its doors.
“Right now, mechanical work is ongoing inside the building, and we’ve begun installing glass and brick on the exterior,” said John Branch, assistant vice president for facilities services and operations. “This phase of construction will continue for several months. We do expect construction to be completed by late spring.”
Designed by Kirksey Architecture, the dining hall will be the campus’s first mass timber building. The 20,000-square-foot dining facility will include outdoor seating for additional capacity and flexible space for such events as culinary expos and instruction. After the new facility opens, the current dining hall, Eatery on East, will permanently close. In its place is a proposed new green space area.
As construction progresses, some upcoming phases may affect campus traffic, but the SFA Physical Plant Department’s goal is to reserve those for times of the year when campus traffic is greatly reduced.
“We still have utility work to complete, which could impact both pedestrian and vehicle traffic,” Branch explained. “Fortunately, we don’t expect any disruptions before Thanksgiving or Christmas. We’ll aim to schedule utility work around those holidays to minimize interruptions. However, temporary closures are likely in late 2024 and into the first quarter of 2025.”
The other major construction project on the university’s horizon is the planned demolition of the Forestry Building and construction of a new facility in its place at the corner of East College and Raguet streets.
“That project is deep into the design phase, and we expect to begin demolition of the current forestry building in March or April 2025,” Branch said. “Once demolition and site preparation are complete, construction on a new, state-of-the-art facility for both the forestry and agriculture programs will commence.”
Both projects represent the university’s commitment to enhancing student experiences and modernizing facilities across campus while staying in tune with the region’s unique identity and natural surroundings.
ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.
By Christine Broussard, assistant director for strategic communications at Stephen F. Austin State University
