Kanchi Uttamchandani | Assistant News Editor
Featured image: The new Student Centre promises to meet critical student needs with an expected opening in 2018. | Amir Yazdanparast
York students will finally get to see the fruits of their 2013 referendum vote to build a new student centre, with construction expected to commence in October and opening slated for spring 2018.
At subsequent annual general meetings of YFS, York University Graduate Students’ Association and York University Student Centre, or YUSC, students articulated their demands for more student space and directed YUSC to explore options to help alleviate this problem, according to Siva Vimalachandran, director of projects and organizational development of the Student Centre.
A referendum to approve student levies for the construction of a student-run and -operated space was held in 2013.
“The referendum secured the highest voter turnout in the history of Canadian post-secondary institutions,” says Vimalachandran. “With nearly 10,000 votes and approximately 90 per cent of students voting in favour, the new Student Centre levy is $3.60 per credit to fund the construction, operation and maintenance of the building.”
The design of the new Student Centre involved extensive community consultations, with over 11,000 individual student design surveys and 12,000 individual time capsule messages collected over the past two years, along with several club endorsements and surveys, according to Vimalachandran.
“We take pride in our stakeholder engagement strategy to make sure that we are keeping individual students and student groups updated on the project every year,” he says.
CannonDesign is the architectural firm in charge of designing the 150,000-square-foot space that will house the new Student Centre.
“CannonDesign is thrilled to be partnering with York University on this dynamic student centre that will enrich the campus,” said Safdar Abidi,
CannonDesign’s education practice leader for Ontario and Eastern Canada.
The new Student Centre will feature bicycle parking, showers, green roofs, gender-neutral washrooms, external lighting and landscaping to promote principles of community safety, accessibility and environmental sustainability.
Meeting rooms, group study areas, recreational spaces, club offices, administrative support offices, commercial spaces and multi-faith prayer rooms are some of the other amenities that will be available.
Previously, Student Centre Executive Director Scott Jarvis supervised the successful referendum and concurs with the general sentiment of need for greater student space.
Vimalachandran emphasizes the new Student Centre is not only designed for functional purposes, but also to reflect diversity.
“We acknowledge the presence of the building on the traditional territory of many Indigenous Nations who have and continue to call this territory home, including the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Anishinabek Nation, the Huron-Wendat and the Metis Nation,” he says.
Many prominent campus groups, including TBLGAY, USAY, YUBSA, ASAY and YUFA, among others, have endorsed the new Student Centre project.
“Through meaningful consultation and active involvement, the student body has made clear its commitment to designing spaces that are iconic, safe, accessible, environmentally sustainable and innovative,” says Vimalachandran.
The project has an estimated $72 million budget.
