Beacon Magazine – Duke Commons: God’s Timing is the Best Timing

Every objective established for the Venture Forward campaign has been completed above and beyond what anyone expected. The last one, although far from complete, has already surpassed our expectations for God’s goodness to Bushnell.

The need for a student commons is long-established; somewhere with an expanded dining hall, community space for students to gather, and a central location for the student life division. We want Beacons to have a place of their own where they feel free to ideate, fellowship, and enjoy their college years to the fullest. They need a home for campus organizations, Beacon Nights, Senior Banquet, and the many other traditions which mark their undergraduate experience.

The dream to build this crucial campus hub turned into a reality when donors John and Marilyn Duke pledged the $5 million lead naming gift for the project. Carol and Jim Cure’s $2.25 million gift commitment followed and soon the plans began to take shape.

The original campus plan had been to bring down Richardson Hall and replace it with the new Duke Student Commons. But God’s better plan and divine timing became clear when the University was presented with the long-awaited opportunity to purchase the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at 1000 Alder Street.

Generations of alumni will remember the fraternity (across the street from what is now Womack Hall) as the dwelling between the Mill Race and the Original Pancake House. Though at times a valued neighbor, through the years it has brought its own set of challenges, including noisy afternoon parties and trash dumped in the Mill Race.

In Spring 2024, President Joe Womack and the Board’s discussions with Sigma Phi Epsilon’s national leadership became conclusive: they agreed to sell us the building. At the time of this writing, Bushnell University is the new owner of this sizeable property that completes and connects our campus footprint all the way from Siefke, Richardson, and Pomajevich Hall on one side of the Mill Race to Works Village and Mom Richart apartments on the other.

Best of all, this will become the site of the new Duke Student Commons, the construction of which will include an in-depth clean-up of the Mill Race, a waterfront park, an entirely new cafeteria and food court, more student housing, and much more.