Tnology: Add Table of Tenants to The Commons

2026-04-14T12:44:16Z

Add Table of Tenants to The Commons

Admin at 17:32, 8 August 2025

2025-08-08T17:32:08Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:32, 8 August 2025
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	== Tenants and Changes ==		== Tenants and Changes ==
	As The Commons is privately owned, services like the CVS store provided products (such as medicine and toiletries) not otherwise easily obtained without a car. The CVS in The Commons was valued, as it was within walking distance on North Campus and carried many dorm essentials. Subsequently, many students were upset when CVS announced it would close its Commons location in 2022 as part of a nationwide downsizing, which meant the loss of what students described as a "crucial resource" for those without transportation.<ref>https://www.ubspectrum.com/article/2021/11/campus-cvs-slated-to-close-in-january</ref>		As The Commons is privately owned, services like the CVS store provided products (such as medicine and toiletries) not otherwise easily obtained without a car. The CVS in The Commons was valued, as it was within walking distance on North Campus and carried many dorm essentials. Subsequently, many students were upset when CVS announced it would close its Commons location in 2022 as part of a nationwide downsizing, which meant the loss of what students described as a "crucial resource" for those without transportation.<ref>https://www.ubspectrum.com/article/2021/11/campus-cvs-slated-to-close-in-january</ref>

			== References ==
			<references />

Tnology: Create The Commons

2025-08-08T17:30:09Z

Create The Commons

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[[File:The Commons (University at Buffalo).png|link=https://ubuffalo.wiki/File:The%20Commons%20(University%20at%20Buffalo).png|alt=The UB Commons courtyard and fountain in 1992, shortly after its opening.|thumb|The UB Commons courtyard and fountain in 1992, shortly after its opening.]]
The '''UB Commons''' (often called '''The Commons''') is a retail and office complex on the University at Buffalo's [[North Campus]] that serves as a popular dining and social destination for students. Opened in 1990-1991, The Commons is a privately owned "mini-mall" located on university property.<ref name=":0">https://www.buffalo.edu/administrative-services/managing-facilities/planning-designing-and-construction/building-profiles/profile-host-page.host.html/content/shared/university/page-content/facilities/ubcmns.detail.html</ref> It was developed to provide additional food, shopping and service options right on campus, complementing the university-operated facilities like the Student Union. The Commons sits at '''520 Lee Entrance''', directly across from the Student Union along Mary Talbert Way. The Commons is not part of the state-owned campus buildings - in other terms, UB itself does not own it.

== History ==
Construction of The Commons was completed in 1991 as a public-private partnership project on UB's [[North Campus]] in Amherst.<ref>https://research.lib.buffalo.edu/campus-planning-construction/timelines</ref> It was part of UB's efforts to enhance North Campus in the late 1980s, aiming to create a more vibrant campus environment. The Commons was constructed at a cost of about either '''$5.5 million''' or '''$7.2 million''' (as sources are conflicting on this number)<ref name=":0" /><ref>https://cedar.buffalo.edu/pub_docs/article80.html</ref> and numbered as building "A900" in UB's inventory. UB leases the land but not the operations, allowing it to host businesses that a state-run facility might not directly manage. More specifically, a UB Foundation affiliate leases the land and helped develop the Commons.<ref>https://ub-foundation.org/what-we-do/real-estate-management/</ref>

The Commons officially opened around 1991, and one of its anchor tenants from the start was the [https://ubuffalo.wiki/CVS_in_The_Commons CVS in The Commons]. It remained the last original tenant until it closed in January 2022. Other original tenants included a Burger King, Pizza Hut, ice cream parlor, rent-a-car company, travel agency, coffee house, and the Center for Excellence for Document Analysis and Recognition.<ref>https://cedar.buffalo.edu/pub_docs/article80.html</ref>

== Design and Features ==
[[File:The Commons view of La Rosa and Young Chow.png|alt=Doorways to Young Chow and La Rosa at The Commons|thumb|Doorways to Young Chow and La Rosa at The Commons]]
The Commons is arranged in a U-shaped layout with two floors of retail and office space surrounding an open-air courtyard. The courtyard features a fountain and seating, and is a popular spot in warm weather for students to eat or relax between classes. Inside, The Commons offers over 50,000 square feet of space housing a variety of functions. Its primary draw is the array of dining options. Through the years, these have included fast-food franchises, local eateries, and international cuisines - ranging from pizzerias to Subway and even bubble tea.

Examples of currently existing eateries at The Commons include:

* '''Starbucks''' (a popular cafe in the US)
* '''Subway''' (a popular sub chain in the US)
* '''Dancing Chopsticks''' (a Japanese restaurant)
* '''Bollywood Bistro''' (an Indian restaurant)
* '''Austin's Kitchen''' (a Korean restaurant)
* '''Chick-Mex Grill''' (a Mexican restaurant)
* '''La Rosa Pizza''' (a pizzeria)
* '''Poke Factory''' (a Thai restaurant)
* '''Young Chow''' (a Chinese restaurant)

The Commons used to have a bubble tea store called Kung Fu tea, but it has since closed.

Apart from food, The Commons has space for service outlets and offices. Over time, it has housed '''Broadview Federal Credit Union''', a salon (called '''Simon's Salon''', although students have advised against going there)<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/UBreddit/comments/1jvope2/dont_go_to_simon_salon_at_commons/</ref><ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/UBreddit/comments/1jvope2/comment/mmc0rd0/</ref><ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/UBreddit/comments/1jvope2/comment/mmqspsf/</ref>, '''UB Hillel''' (the Jewish student organization), and a '''UPS Store''' (which many students find useful for Amazon returns). The Commons also contains meeting rooms and multipurpose rooms such as "Common Ground," a lounge/meeting space located at '''200 Commons''' (second floor) for meetings and events.

The Commons also provides employment opportunities for students in many of its businesses (including positions in the eateries and shops). It tends to operate longer hours than the [[Faculty-Student Association (Campus Dining and Shops)|Campus Dining and Shops]] locations.

== Tenants and Changes ==
As The Commons is privately owned, services like the CVS store provided products (such as medicine and toiletries) not otherwise easily obtained without a car. The CVS in The Commons was valued, as it was within walking distance on North Campus and carried many dorm essentials. Subsequently, many students were upset when CVS announced it would close its Commons location in 2022 as part of a nationwide downsizing, which meant the loss of what students described as a "crucial resource" for those without transportation.<ref>https://www.ubspectrum.com/article/2021/11/campus-cvs-slated-to-close-in-january</ref>

The Commons - Revision history

Tnology: Add Table of Tenants to The Commons

Admin at 17:32, 8 August 2025

Tnology: Create The Commons