Reggie’s Closed Indefinitely

CSU Talks With Admin Halt Renovation Plans

NewsAndrew Brennan — Published January 14, 2014 | Updated January 14, 2014 at 8:19am

Construction has yet to begin inside Reggie’s, Concordia’s student-run bar in the Hall Building mezzanine, while the university and the Concordia Student Union continue to discuss what infrastructure inside the space needs fixing, according to a report to CSU council by CUSAcorp, the CSU’s for-profit arm.

Following the bar’s closure in October, the renovation project managers were told by two separate contracting companies of maintenance and infrastructure problems, according to the report, with CUSAcorp chairperson James Tyler Vaccaro later elaborating the issues were mostly plumbing-related.

“According to the current lease agreement these aspects fall under the legal obligation of the university to ensure the upkeep and repair,” stated the press release, released before the CSU’s regular council meeting last week. “In light of this clause, the [CUSAcorp Board of Directors] decided to approach the university to discuss our concerns with the state of the Reggie’s space, and to begin the process of working together on this project going forward.”

CUSAcorp began discussions with the university at a meeting Dec. 6, where the Board presented to Concordia administrators their plans for the bar and surrounding space leased by the university to the CSU and managed by CUSAcorp.

Concordia’s Facilities Management was tasked with providing their own assessment of the infrastructure repairs needed, which only included a minor issue of pipes being wrapped in insulation.

“From what we have been told by the contractors and project managers, as well as after having reviewed the space, in our estimation this is nowhere near the full extent of the space’s current issues,” the report continued.

Vaccaro, also the CSU VP Clubs and Internal Affairs, added in an interview with The Link that a third party at the behest of CUSAcorp will offer an independent evaluation to both the Board and the university.

Vaccaro says the university welcomed the independent party performing its own inspection of the bar’s infrastructure. An agent of Facilities Management was unable to be reached for comment by press time.

“If we all come to the table I think we can work together to create something great,” said Vaccaro.

“I get the question everyday of when is Reggie’s reopening; I’ve been getting it since before we even closed it. If there’s anyone who would rather have Reggie’s open and up and running today, [that person] would be me,” he continued.

That being said, Vaccaro adds the CSU wants to “make sure we’re doing it right,” even if that means Reggie’s won’t reopen anytime soon.

“We don’t want to rush through because if you’re rushing through the process just to get something open again, [it would be] doing a disservice to students in the long run,” he said.