Yale is tasked with removing and finding a new home for the furniture, fixtures, appliances, professional-grade kitchen equipment, and over 1,000 chairs from the first two floors of the building. To do this, they have launched two online restaurant equipment auctions at www.restaurantequipment.bid to give the community a chance to bring home a piece of Yale history.
After receiving a $150 million donation from Blackstone co-founder and Yale alumnus, Stephen A. Schwarzman, Yale University has plans to create a world-class campus center by renovating the historic Commons and Memorial Hall. Once complete in 2020, the Schwarzman Center will provide a central location for students to meet, eat, and view performing arts.
Two restaurant equipment auctions will be launched in total: one for the first floor of Commons and one for the basement floor, ending January 11th and 18th respectively.
Bidding for all items starts at $1.00, no matter what the item is, even the kitchen’s giant conveyor-driven dishwasher with a sticker price exceeding $50,000. The auction is about finding a good home for the items from Commons. The hope is that many of these pieces will be bid on by Yale students, faculty and alumni who have a connection to Yale and the history of Commons.
The decision to remove items from Commons through RestaurantEquipment.bid aligns with Yale’s ongoing effort to create a sustainable campus. One of the university’s primary objectives outlined in the Yale Sustainability Plan 2025 is to ensure sustainable consumption and disposal patterns across campus. Hosting an online auction with bids starting at $1.00 ensures that anyone who can provide a home for the items has a shot at winning them.
