The Dairy Bar -- Cornell's iconic East Campus eating establishment and ice cream shop -- closed in July for several years, but all is not lost for Big Red ice cream lovers. Trillium Express, at the corner of Garden Avenue and Tower Road, will serve Cornell ice cream until supplies run out.

"Given its prime location closer to the center of campus, Trillium Express was a natural choice," said Jason Huck, general manager of Cornell Dairy Operations, on making the Kennedy Hall eatery a temporary home for Cornell dairy products.

Trillium Express will offer Cornell ice cream while its lasts, probably until spring 2011, at which point the university will switch to ice cream made by Perry's, a local creamery. Currently, 19 Cornell flavors are available, as are sundaes, milkshakes, malts and cakes. Visitors can buy ice cream by the scoop, pint or half-gallon; quarts of Cornell yogurt and pudding are also available, as small-scale dairy production will continue at Cornell's Pilot Dairy Plant, which will also process cider and research milk.

Stocking Hall, Cornell's food science building that is home to the Cornell Dairy Bar and the Cornell Dairy Plant, is slated to undergo a $105 million renovation that will be funded through the State University of New York Capital Plan. Renovations will include the addition of food science laboratories, classrooms, an extension conference center and a crush pad for viticulture and enology students. The Dairy Bar and Dairy Plant will be demolished and rebuilt, with their replacements featuring plenty of public space and natural lighting. An observation balcony above the Dairy Plant will allow visitors to view stages in the production of Cornell Dairy products. When it reopens in 2013, the Dairy Bar will offer a larger menu and more seating.

"From new dairy product development to the creation and validation of new processing technologies, our operations will support the academic needs of our students and faculty researchers," said Huck. He added that the observation features also will improve public education on local food processing.

Cornell Dairy will continue to supply dining facilities and campus-affiliated housing with fresh dairy products during the renovations through partnerships with Perry's Ice Cream and Crowley Foods, a Binghamton-based dairy. During the renovation, hungry Cornellians on East Campus will also have access to a hot truck (more information coming in August) for coffee and quick lunches.

Molly Cronin '11 was a student intern with CALS Communications this summer.