The Corp’s upper management retracted its planned bid to open a restaurant and bar in the vacant space in Darnall Hall last week, just ahead of GUSA and the university administration’s deadline for proposals.

Officials at the Corp declined to comment on the student business’ reasons for withdrawing its plans. The Corp was the only student-run business vying to occupy the space.

The decision comes barely a week after the Corp announced its intention to put together a bid. In that time, the Corp’s interaction with the student association, which is overseeing the negotiations for the space, was often contentious.

At a meeting last week between Corp CFO Chirag Dedania (SFS ’06) and GUSA Housing and Facilities Secretary Eamonn Carr (COL ’06), Dedania said he was left with the impression GUSA did not want the Corp to submit a bid, a charge Carr denied.

GUSA President Pravin Rajan (SFS ’07) said that the meeting was not a factor in the Corp’s decision and that officials were looking for the best possible vendor and would evaluate all applicants on an equal basis.

“I believe they would have been equal to that standard,” he said of the Corp.

Still, Carr (COL ’06) said that the Corp had never formally assembled a bid and added that GUSA would not have been able to help Corp officials with that process. He added that GUSA may have been more accommodative had the Corp submitted a bid earlier.

Rajan said that he had directed Carr to inform Corp officials of the obstacles their bid would face so that they could hear that news from students and not administrators.

However, both Carr and Rajan said that any animosity that existed between GUSA and the Corp during the process has been put aside and that the two organizations are researching ways that they can work together in the future.

“Both groups realized the need to work together in diversifying the on-campus food options available to students,” Carr said.

Rajan said that GUSA and the Corp are currently exploring ways of expanding student meal plans to include Corp-operated coffee shops and groceries.

“I hope the Corp will continue to expand and continue to serve students,” he said.

With the Corp’s exit from the bidding process, Carr said that the administration has received all the bids it is expecting, all of which are believed to be from national brand-name chains. GUSA is on track to select a vendor by the end of the semester, he added.