More room to lift

During Sunday night’s SRA meeting, McMaster Students Union president Justin Monaco-Barnes, and vice president (Finance) Ryan MacDonald announced a project proposal that has been several months in the works.

The focal point of this project is based on one of Monaco-Barnes’ platform points of a much needed Pulse expansion, but addresses several other key concerns that students have brought forward, including the need for:

• student study space
• student lounge space
• student event space
• multi-faith prayer space
• recreation space
• Pulse usage, and
• funding for extramural clubs

The $60 million proposal involves two different plan options and will be brought to a vote to be sent to referendum on Nov. 12. If the referendum is successful, students will vote on the plan during the 2017 presidential election and construction will begin in the spring of 2018.

Student space on campus has been an issue for years. In the MSU’s 2015 Space Survey, 80 per cent of students identified student space as their number one priority on campus.

Both plan options see a 60,000 square foot athletics and recreation expansion, including an additional recreation gym, a new cardio loft, a women’s only fitness space, as well as 50 per cent off intramural costs and classes offered at the Pulse.

Exclusive to option A is the plan for a separate, 40,000 square foot student activity building that will be designed for students, by students. This building will feature a multi-faith prayer space, unprogrammed study space expansion, a peer support centre, a napping centre, a community kitchen and food collective, a multipurpose accessible event space, a gaming room, a movie theatre and a recording studio.

Students are currently paying $259.98 between the Athletics and Recreation service fee and the DBAC capital fee. Both plans include a $95 increase in these fees in September 2017 and an additional increase once the project is complete in 2020; option A being nearly double than option B.

More information about the project proposal and construction/fee timeline is available here.