"The re-establishment of some form of food service in the space is our first objective," said Food Services Acting Director Judy Vaz.
"The results of our market research confirm what we hear from the campus community in general. There is a need for a food facility of that size on campus."
Exactly what form a new food service would take has yet to be determined, she said, adding that numerous groups have expressed interest in the space.
"We'll be establishing a steering committee to set parameters and review proposals for future use of the space in SUB and to prepare a detailed strategy," Vaz said.
When these initiatives were announced last summer, Frank Eastham, associate vice-president, Human Resources, said the decision followed extensive deliberation, study and consultation.
"It became clear to us that we need to focus on re-invigorating service in key areas of our food operations. It was also clear that in order to achieve that goal we had to rethink our activities in areas of significant continuing loss with no credible opportunity of a turnaround," Eastham said.