LEWISTON – Students Blaise Lucey and Adam Rawlings say the food is better and they like the lack of lines.

Bates College dining worker John Doyle likes the space. “It’s 100 percent better,” Doyle said as he wiped down the taco bar Tuesday. “There’s more room. It has a happy atmosphere.”

After 17 months of construction, Bates College’s new $24 million dining facility opened Sunday.

Dining services director Christine Schwartz is proud that the facility showcases food being made.

“The cooks are out there, they’re preparing, they’re having conversations, they’re interacting. It’s pretty cool,” she said.

In the old Commons dining hall, the cooking was done in the back.

The design and in-view cooking brings the whole food experience to students. “It used to be the food was there, they didn’t think about how it got there,” Schwartz said. The cooking style also allows staffers to cook to order. That results in better meals and less waste. “It’s a win-win all the way around,” she said.

The Central Avenue building is 230 by 220 feet, with ceilings that climb to 42 feet. The cost of the project includes utility upgrades in the college’s steam plant, plus conference rooms and an Alumni Walk, a landscaped cross-campus corridor.

The dining hall features marketplace-style dining with plenty of room, even at the busiest times of day. The focal point is the pizza station, complete with a brick oven and workers in chef’s hats.

Nearby, there’s a salad bar across from a Euro Station featuring comfort food: meat and potatoes. Beside that is a bakery with tempting desserts. Next to that is a popular taco bar. There’s also a vegan station where the cooks have their own kitchen and no meat preparation is allowed. There’s also a mezzanine dining area with a balcony that overlooks the lower floor.

The facility is environmentally friendly. Sensors turn lights down when daylight is available. The ceiling is made of recycled wood from the Thomas Edison Phonograph Factory in Wisconsin, Schwartz said.

Instead of air conditioning, a natural ventilation system will let hot air out and cool air in, explained project manager Paul Farnsworth. Heat recovered from an upgraded steam system will be used for hot water. Restroom toilets have “dual flushes,” reducing water consumption. Counters are made from compressed paper. Carpets under tables and chairs are 75 percent recycled.

Student Dan Rosenzweig of Philadelphia said the new dining facility was “great,” though a little less personal than the old Commons. But the pizza is phenomenal, he said. “It’s everything it was cracked up to be.”

Emily Kuehn of Arizona said she likes the space. “I’m from out West and I love big spaces. I was worried it was going to be overwhelmingly loud,” but it’s not, she said.

Both said the dining hall is one of the most important places on campus. It’s a social hub “where you hang out with your friends,” Rosenzweig said.