By: Katie Lawrence/Staff Writer
The proposed budget from the Biscayne Bay Student Government Council was passed by the BBC Senate on Aug. 1, giving the Wolfe University Center $70,000 for a new face-lift.
The project, funded through student’s activities and services fees, will help create a new image for the WUC, beginning with re-tiling the three floors and painting the interior.
“Students have shown interest in a long-term vision for the Wolf Center,” says Greg Olson, director of the WUC, who concedes that the project is still in very early stages. “In the immediate, it looks like we can get some tiling done and painting.”
The University-wide budget from activities and services fees reached nearly $12.5 million this year. After money is allocated for services that are beneficial to both campuses, the remaining money is divided with 74 percent going to the Modesto Maidique Campus and 26 percent going to the BBC, to be further divided by the respective SGC’s administrations for campus-specific activities.
The SGC-BBC was able to secure $70,000 for renovations from the money designed for campus-specific projects. Another $20,000 from the University-wide budget is waiting for approval from the MMC-SGC senate before all budgets will be sent to the vice president of student affairs, Rosa Jones, for final approval.
In conjunction with the BBC specific funding, the WUC was allotted an additional $30,000 by the University Wide Student Government Council and $109,751 in residual funds from the MMC-SGC.
“Re-tiling of the WUC floors will benefit the students in having a cohesive student union center as well as fixing the concaved floors on the second and third floors, which make it easy for someone to trip, especially ladies in heels,” said Denise Halpin, the president of the SGC-BBC, who has heavily lobbied for the projects funding and fruition.
As per the July 13 SGC-BBC meeting, the estimated budget for the retiling of the WUC is $376,700. The project cost breakdown is $190,000 in the demolition of the current flooring; $100,000 in the laying of the tiles; $18,700 in architect fees; $68,000 in imported blue and gold tiles, which are not available in the United States, according Emilio Collyer, vice president of SGC-BBC.
The money, once approved by the University, will set in motion a bidding process to hire someone to help create a long-term vision for the WUC. University CFO, Kenneth Jessel, plans to visit in late August to meet with Olson and SGA members and do a walk-through of the WUC.
“They are going to discuss what needs to be done so we can hire someone to help create a vision for the center,” says Collyer, who mentioned that President Mark Rosenberg fully supports the renovation. “We will start the tiling and painting this year but we want to make sure we have a clear vision so everything is cohesive with future administrations.”
“We are looking into having a five to 10 year overall vision of the Wolfe Center,” says Halpin. “That way we do not just fund pieces of the WUC but rather an overall student union center.”
The last time major renovations occurred in the WUC was in 2007, when the SGA office was moved from the first floor into what was formerly the fitness center. Around this time, the cafeteria was also moved to the outskirts of the WUC, and will be replaced by two meeting rooms and student lounges.
Other renovation ideas have included adding a statue of a panther and redesigning the WUC with updated features, but the visions will be streamlined after Jessel’s visit and the hiring of an architect.
“There is a lot we can do,” said Olson, who hopes to have the tiling and painting done within the fiscal year, pending approval and the bidding process. “It’s a positive thing being done for the students.”
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