Penn began construction for a multi-phase renovation of 1920 Commons this June.
The updated building will feature over 200 more seats, an expanded Gourmet Grocer, a new coffee shop, group study pods, elevators, and a locker-based food pick-up system. The three-year project — set for completion by January 2029 — will cost $79 million and span 59,000 square feet.
In an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian, Business Services Division Director of Hospitality Wendy Sparks said that the facility “really was due for an overhaul.”
The renovation is Commons’ first full renovation since its completion in 1971.
The construction has been divided into three phases “to allow us to remain open throughout the process,” except during the summer of 2028, which Sparks said will be the “only time we close the whole building.”
Phase one of the construction — which began in June 2026 and will continue until November 2027 — involves the demolition of a current greenhouse adjacent to the lower level of 1920 Commons and the addition of a new entrance. The dining hall, Gourmet Grocer, and Starbucks will remain open while the addition is under construction.
From December 2027 through July 2028, Starbucks and Gourmet Grocer will close to undergo renovations. The dining hall will remain open, and additional grab-and-go meal options will be temporarily available.
Christopher Kern, the executive director of design and construction at Penn’s Division of Facilities & Real Estate Services, told the DP that the addition will provide a “new loading dock,” and “core elevator and stair facilities.”
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After the summer 2028 closure, the facility will reopen in fall 2028, and phase three of construction will continue until November that year. The expanded Gourmet Grocer, coffee shop, and study spaces will also be open during this time.
A locker-based retail food pick-up system will also be created inside 1920 Commons for student use. The dining hall will be closed for renovations during this period, though new grab-and-go meals and meal exchange options will be made temporarily available.
The facility will undergo a fourth and final phase of construction from November 2028 through January 2029 that will involve further renovations to the dining hall.
Sparks said that the construction team is working to “minimize any disruption” to campus activities.
“With any construction project, there is going to be noise, so we are very well aware of that, and we are updating our websites accordingly,” she said.
Due to the facility’s proximity to Harnwell College House, Sparks said the University is “looking at the timing that the work is being done and making sure we’re coordinating and communicating with everyone.”
