It was the end of an era this past Thursday when Elon University administrators officially purchased Lighthouse Tavern and Deli at 131 W. College Ave.

The sale comes a little more than a month after Lighthouse owner, Grayson “Chad” Snyder, was charged on Nov. 30, 2007 with selling and delivering cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine and attempt to violate the Controlled Substance Act by possessing the date rape drug GHB (gamma hydroxy butyrate).

Initial plans for the building have yet to be determined, but Dan Anderson, director of university relations, said that student input will be considered throughout the decision-making process.

“We don’t want to rush to judgment on what to do with the property,” said Smith Jackson, dean of student life, who is spearheading efforts to find a new use for the space. “During the next couple of months we will get a lot of input from students on what they consider the best use of the space.”

Administrators have not ruled out the option of allowing the space to function in a similar capacity as it has in recent years, including the sale of alcohol.

“When the building became available we started to think about how we could use that property to meet the high demand for student groups,” Anderson said. “Many students use it for social events. They lease it out on occasion. We would like to keep it serving the needs of students.”

During the next few months the university will ask focus groups of students to target how the space can best be used. Jackson already met with freshmen members of the Student Government Association on Friday.

Initial response has shown that students would like a facility similar to Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, which is known for its music scene. Jaskson says the Student Union Board could potentially use this space for concerts as an alternative to The Zone.

“If they keep it as a bar I would like for it to be a place that students could rent out and I would like to see them have more seating and serve food as well,” said president of the Student Government Association Rob Saunders. He also suggested turning the building into a restaurant so students could eat off-campus without having to drive to Burlington.

The university plans to begin bringing the building up to safety codes in the next few weeks. They plan to open the building in its new capacity later this spring.

Editor in Chief: Olivia Hubert-Allen - 01/23/07