Construction of Mezz Advocacy Centre to Begin Promptly
Construction on the Concordia Student Union’s Advocacy Centre will begin “as early as next week” at its new location on the mezzanine of the Hall Building, according to CSU VP Academic and Advocacy Terry Wilkings.
CSU councillors discussed and voted on a contractor in a closed-door session Tuesday night. The secrecy was due to the inability to discuss third-party contracting material and “sensitive numbers” openly, according to Wilkings.
This same contractor was hired for the renovation of the Hive Café and offered the “lowest bid,” said CSU president Benjamin Prunty.
The aim of the relocation to the lower level is to offer easier access to the office, which is one of the benefits the Housing and Off-campus Job Bank receives, said Wilkings. Their hope is that the centre will eventually serve the same numbers, he continued.
“They [students] are aware that the [advocacy] service exists; however, they may not exactly know where the services are located,” Wilkings said. “First-year students might have more difficulty locating where it is.”
Wilkings, who said he used to work in the centre, added that the current layout is not ideal for students.
“The aesthetics of the space aren’t necessarily as welcoming as they could be,” Wilkings said. “The space is a little bit dry.”
The CSU ratified the project this past July, and had taken preliminary steps to prepare for its opening.
“The goal is to have the advocacy centre relocated and opened for service by January for the winter semester,” Wilkings explained.
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