The Associated Students UCLA Board of Directors voted unanimously to increase funding for the proposed South Campus Student Center by $2 million at its monthly meeting on Friday.
The South Campus Student Center, a joint effort between ASUCLA and the university, would replace the Bombshelter and has a budget of $16 million, said ASUCLA Executive Director Bob Williams. The original plan for the center, which was set to be a primarily food service operation, had a budget of approximately $12 million, of which ASUCLA planned to pay $6.5 million.
Williams said the university initially requested a larger project that would create a larger facility, which raised the cost to $20 million. But, ASUCLA was able to reduce the cost back down to $16 million, of which the association would pay for half.
“I want to think of the center in terms of 50 years from now and how we can best support the longevity of the structure,” he said.
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Janina Montero said she supported the construction of the center and added that she wanted to partner “50-50″ as much as possible with ASUCLA in terms of cost and responsibility.
Rich Delia, the chief financial officer for ASUCLA, acknowledged that ASUCLA reserves, which saw a $140,000 surplus this past year alone, could tighten due to the increased cost.
But Williams said that finances for the expenditure were still under discussion and could include a development campaign with a building named after a donor.
Jared Fox, a graduate student representative and the chair of the board, said the increased contribution from ASUCLA shows they are committed to serving the campus community.
“We are working with the administration to secure the requisite funding and design approval so that we can proceed with the project as soon as is feasible,” Fox said.
He added that ASUCLA was grateful for the positive reaction of Chancellor Gene Block, who had expressed his support for the project.
The new center will complement the facilities further north such as the North Campus Student Center and LuValle Commons, said undergraduate student representative Jesse Rogel.
Rogel said the renovation of the Bombshelter, which is nearly 50 years old, will benefit South Campus students and health science graduate students.
Other agenda items discussed at the meeting included ASUCLA’s new marketing campaign and the opening of new facilities such as the Coins arcade.
One part of the marketing campaign is a new Web site design for ASUCLA’s online store. The new site is based on an image of a manila folder, with “pictures and pages” representing different merchandise sections.
In addition, ASUCLA plans to incorporate a John Wooden memorabilia section and student wish lists that can be sent home to parents.
Rogel said ASUCLA’s new logo will have an arrow going back to “Associated Students,” showing the strong bond between the association and the university.
The new arcade, Coins, is set to open this week in the old FedEx Kinko’s space, and games from the Viewpoint Lounge will be moved over, Williams said.
The Broad Arts Café, a limited food service counter, may also open this week.
Williams said the expanded Taco Bell in Ackerman Union is “nearing completion” and should be ready in the near future.