New Valley Dining Hall?

The Gazette and Herald report on Western's plans for a new dining hall to serve all three Valley dorm complexes.

Preliminary plans for new 7-restaurant dining hall causing a stir at Western Michigan University

There is controversy about the plan, but it is all about the trees that would have to be cut down to build the dining hall.  There doesn't seem to be any controversy about whether the building itself is a good idea.  All the article says about this is

"At the same time, the president announced last year that we would move aggressively to upgrade dining and residence halls on an aggressive time table," Roland said. "It will make campus living more attractive and boost enrollment. Students have a level of expectations for their living arrangements when they come to college."

The Valleys already have separate dining halls.  They could be renovated if necessary.  Does it really make sense to spend millions to make dorms more luxurious?  Another problem is that in the plans shown in the article, the new dining hall doesn't appear to be connected to any of the three Valleys.  This is a big issue in the cold winter months, when it is desirable to be able to eat without having to first put on winter clothes.

This seems like an unnecessary expense.