Student Union Building opening delayed

Written by: Amneet Mann, News Editor and Srijani Datta, Assistant News Editor

The Student Union Building (SUB) is now projected to open in the summer 2019 term.

     According to a press release provided by the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS), the building construction will be completed at the end of March 2019. After an additional month of preparation, a grand opening for students will be held at the beginning of the summer term.

     The building was previously projected to open in the fall 2018 term.

Causes of the delay

The SFSS has cited multiple reasons for the delay.

     “The soils were not what was expected based on test drilling that has been done prior to the start of construction,” read the press release, which led to a longer excavation period than was originally anticipated.

     Concrete pouring and underground work was stalled by heavy snowfall during the two previous winters.

     A busy construction market in Metro Vancouver, the complex building design, and building components that had to be custom-ordered and manufactured overseas were listed as other reasons for the delay.

     “The SFSS is not willing to compromise quality of construction in order to open the building sooner,” read the press release.

     To address the delays, the press release reports that the SFSS has met with SFU and the contractor to develop new processes to speed up construction. The SFSS also provided additional funding to architects and other consultants so that they would spend more time on-site and “help speed up the question-and-answer process between the contractor and the design team.”

Construction and finance of the SUB

Pro-Can Construction Group is the contractor for the SUB, and SFU manages the company workers, as well as the architects and engineers. The press release stated that the “SFSS is not involved in managing the construction work.”

     The SFSS manages the financial needs of the project and works on design elements such as furniture selection and signage.

     According to the press release, the Build SFU project is currently on budget.

Community involvement

The SFSS has confirmed that Women’s Centre, Out on Campus, and the First Nations Student Association will retain their space in the Rotunda until the SUB opens.

     Students are being invited to submit names for the SUB. The decision came out of the SFSS board of directors meeting on May 25 where the board selected a three-part process for finalizing the name.

     The first step will offer all SFU students the opportunity to suggest names. The second step will require a board subcommittee to shortlist the suggestions to a list of suitable candidates. In the final stage, all SFU students will be allowed to cast a final vote for the new name from the shortlisted ones.

     The first step has already commenced, as SFSS has started accepting student suggestions of potential names for the building. Submissions will be accepted until September 30, and everyone who submits a name idea will automatically be entered in a draw for a $200 cash prize, as per the SFSS’s website.

     Additionally, the student who submits the winning name will be recognized both at the grand opening celebration for the student union building and on a plaque in the new building.