The Yale community is invited to participate in two online auctions, offering kitchen equipment, appliances, fixtures, tables, and more starting at just $1.
After receiving a $150 million donation from Blackstone co-founder and Yale alumnus, Stephen A. Schwarzman, Yale University 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.
But before that happens, Yale is tasked with removing and finding a new home for the furniture, fixtures, appliances, and kitchen equipment from the first two floors of the building. To do this, the university has launched two online auctions at www.RestaurantEquipment.bid to give the community a chance to bring home a piece of Yale history.
Items in the auction include professional-grade kitchen equipment, appliances, fixtures, tables, and more than 1,000 chairs. Two auctions will be launched: one for items from the first floor of Commons and one for those from the basement floor, ending Jan. 11 and Jan. 18 respectively.
Bidding for all items starts at $1, no matter what the item is, even the kitchen’s giant conveyor-driven dishwasher with a sticker price exceeding $50,000. Starting the bidding at $1 ensures that anyone who can provide a home for the items has a chance at winning them, officials said, noting that 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.
Media Contact: Alison Walkley