IC’S Tower Club to close

Changing times have caught up with the Tower Club, Ithaca College’s restaurant with a view from high above Cayuga’s waters. The Tower Club, located on the 14th floor of the East Tower residence hall, will close on Monday, May 18, the day after Ithaca College Commencement.Originally a private club for college faculty, staff and their guests when it opened in the 1960s, the Tower Club has been open to the public for the past two decades.“Our customer base has been declining steadily over the years, despite our best efforts to market the Tower Club as a dining destination,” said David Prunty, director of campus life services. “While it is a wonderful facility to have available on campus, in this economic climate it just isn’t sustainable from a financial standpoint.”Since 2000, the Tower Club has been open only for lunch Monday through Friday and for special events. Prunty notes that the closing will free up space that can be used by the college for a variety of programming purposes. He says that for at least the coming year, it will still be available for catered events by both on- and off-campus customers.The closing will eliminate five full-time positions in Dining Services, which is run by Sodexo. General manager Jeff Scott says that Sodexo is working with the affected employees to find appropriate placement in other Dining Services positions on campus.