With its new dining hall set to open this fall, McDonald Hall is undergoing another series of renovations with the partial demolition of its east wing this summer.

The demolition is part of three stages of renovations the residence hall will undergo as part of the campus master plan, said Marc Brunner from the Office of Design and Construction.

“I think this will go a long way in enhancing the aesthetics of [McDonald] and of the courtyard in front of Math/Science [Building],” Brunner said. “There’s no doubt that a dilapidated building … will impact student enrollment.”

The east side is being reduced from nearly 420 bed spaces to roughly 118, said Andrea Depinet, associate director for business operations in Residence Life. The west side already decreased from 460 to 290 bed spaces, decreasing the building’s total capacity from 1200 to 700 beds.

The opening of the Oaks Dining Hall is a factor in the construction, and Brunner said the goal was to open the courtyard up in between Overman Hall and the new dining hall.

Brunner said the new dining hall will add better food, service and a touch of character to the building, reducing many of the maintenance issues that came with the old one.

With the Dunkin’ Donuts going in, another goal of the project is to appeal to upperclassmen and off-campus students.

“This is going to be a whole different world,” Brunner said. “It will greatly enhance this whole area.”

The inside of the residence halls will be enhanced as well with several new amenities being added within the next year.

Depinet said the east side will be closed during the fall as it undergoes renovations with new furniture, newly painted walls and new carpet. The west side will remain open for fall and will receive new windows along with the east side this summer, with a similar renovation planned for the west next summer.

Brunner said the building is also going to replace four elevators and upgrade its fire alarm system, though specific plans for phase three remain in speculation.

Brunner said Residence Life will have two members serving on the selection committee for hiring the architect responsible for phase three, who will be approved by the Office of Design and Construction.

Depinet expects the building to retain its popularity among new students despite its smaller size because of how much student activity goes on there, including a new theme/value exploration community called SEARCH, where more than 100 students of all majors will discuss spiritual and existential questions. Of the 40 signed up so far, the majority are upperclassmen. ROTC will also remain in the building.

It is hoped that new students will eventually discover and take part in a theme learning community called SEARCH (Students Engaged In Active Reflective Caring and Holistic learning), and Depinet said the community is popular among upperclassmen because their experience on campus means they probably know about the community more than an incoming freshman would.

“It’s a good place to be when you’re new here,” Depinet said. “I think that will probably continue, it will just be less students overall.”