Yale students are getting a new campus center in 2020 thanks to a $150 million donation two years ago from financial executive and Yale alum Stephen A. Schwarzman. But first, the university wants to find “a good home” for the existing furniture, fixtures and other items in the historic Yale Commons.

The auction site www.RestaurantEquipment.bid on Tuesday announced two online auctions for the contents of the Commons building to make way for the renovation, including all furniture, fixtures, appliances, professional-grade kitchen equipment and more than 1,000 chairs from first two floors.

Bidding for all items starts at $1 – even a giant conveyer-driven dishwasher with a sticker price topping $50,000, the auction company said. The ongoing auctions – one for the first floor of Commons and one for the basement – end January 11 and 18, respectively.

The auctions are about “finding a good home for the items from Commons” and giving the community “a chance to bring home a piece of Yale history,” according to a news release. “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 release said.

The auction also aligns with Yale’s effort to create a sustainable campus and “ensure sustainable consumption and disposal patterns,” the release said.

Schwarzman, co-founder and CEO of New York City-based global asset management firm Blackstone, donated $150 million to Yale in 2015 to establish the Schwarzman Center, described in his company bio as “a first-of-its-kind campus center in Yale’s historic Commons building.”

It will provide a central location for students to meet, eat and view performing arts.

Link to Article: https://hartfordbusiness.com/article/yale-launches-online-auctions-of-furniture-fixtures-in-commons/