The Eddy renovation skethches have been released, watch below
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Video by Dillon Thomas
*CORRECTION* 9/3/13 Last tuesday’s story “Eddy’s next on the list” previously said construction on the LSC would increase student fees by $140 each semester. This is the amount per year, the amount per semester is $70. Also Mike Ellis, the assistant vice president of student affairs was given the title of vice president in the article. The Collegian regrets the error.
Many students on campus do not know why CSU has decided to carry out a $65 million renovation on the Lory Student Center – ironically, it’s because of students.
Years before the LSC became the skeleton it is now, students voted for the university to undertake one of the largest renovations to date.
“We asked the students what they wanted (to renovate) and they chose the LSC,” said Doni Luckutt, director of marketing for the LSC. “The students voted to pay for the majority of the cost.”
According to Mike Ellis, assistant vice president of student affairs and executive director of the LSC, the vote happened in 2011 and was carried out by two representative student groups on campus, the Student Fee Review Board and the ASCSU student senate.
“Since 2007 the students have played a huge role,” said Shelly Carroll who works for Facilities Management at CSU.
The decision also included that the construction would be supported financially by some of the $45 million annually produced in student fees. It would also include a $70 increase in student fees per semester. This increase will be effective at the beginning of next year.
Next year’s increase of $140 is part of a new approach concerning construction projects on campus. According to Ellis, the LSC had saved money for a number of years allowing a financial buffer between construction and completion.
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“It was important to students to be paying for something they could actually be using,” Ellis said.
According to Carroll only fees generated by the LSC were used for the LSC Project. This means that the renovation of the LSC does not affect other projects on campus.
Since 2004, hundreds of students have been involved in various parts of the master planning of the LSC construction. Although the plan for the construction was initially brought to the students attention by CSU administration, the Student Fee Review Board has voted every year to save money for this project in particular.
This type of process is common at CSU when construction projects are decided. Students have participated in decisions of former projects like the Behavioral Sciences Building, The University Center for the Arts and the Computer Science building, according to the University Facility Fee Advisory Board website.
According to the Colorado State University Facilities Management Website all projects are a part of a 10 year management plan. Also, each project over the cost of $500,000 must be approved by the Board of Governors and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.
Each project goes through approval process and a funding process. The CSU administration has assured students that they are undoubtedly a part of both processes.
Concerning the LSC project Ellis said, “(The CSU Board of Governors) would not have supported the project without student support.”
After the LSC renovation, construction on campus will continue. According to Ellis, a renovation for Eddy Hall is scheduled after the LSC renovation.
Some projects are currently in the design stage and some are being scheduled for the future. Whatever the case, the CSU administration says construction projects will continue to be students’ choices because it’s students’ campus.
Collegian Reporter Shawn Brown can be reached at news@collegian.com.
