Student Union Building

The Simon Fraser Student Society would like to own its own building on the Burnaby Campus. Here is the collected documentation of the project so far, and an outline of next steps.

Planning for the SUB is delegated to the SFSS Space Oversight Committee. Meetings are chaired by the University Relations Officer, Shara Lee.

Preliminary Architectural Drawings - November 2008

The SFSS retained Bing Thom Architects to create the following potential scenarios for a student union building on the site near the MBC. In October 2009 there emerged a new potential option for a site near Cornerstone, but the implications of this option have not been explored.

SUB Layout Space & Cost Calculations.pdf
Services Diagram.pdf
Site Section.pdf
Option 1:
An entirely new student union building, situated to the east of the Maggie Benston Centre, with an integrated Art Gallery directly on Convocation Mall as well as extensive parking underneath.
SFSS SUB - Option 1 - Combined.pdf
Option 1B:
A similar plan to Option 1 but without a relocated Art Gallery.
SFSS SUB - Option 1B- Combined.pdf
Option 2:
A new student union building that allow involves a substantial overhaul of the MBC building, reversing the floor plans of Level 10 and Level 9 to swap Student Services with Student Society spaces.
SFSS SUB - Option 2 - Combined.pdf
Option 3:
A new student union building with a partial overhaul of the MBC spaces rather than a complete retrofit of the building.
SFSS SUB - Option 3 - Combined.pdf

Retails and Services preliminary study - January 2009

The SFSS retained Commercial Marketing Inc. to assess the opportunities for commercial space in both the proposed SUB and in adjacent SFSS-controlled spaces at SFU Burnaby Campus during the period 2008-2018.

Executive Summary (4 pages)
Full Report (50 pages)

Consultation Process - 2008, 2009, 2010...

The next step is a detailed consultation process that engages all community stakeholders (primarily students) in a dialogue about the types of spaces that could potentially be in a SUB. The Alma Mater Society at UBC conducted such a process before building their SUB; a summary of their process is posted here for reference. The SFSS conducted a small consultation in 2008, and initiated a larger consultation by presenting to Forum in October 2009.

Funds and Financing

The SFSS collects $15 per student per semester in the form of a Building Levy, which collects in the Space Expansion Fund. At present there is about $3 million in the Fund. The total cost of a SUB could be anywhere from $65 - $110 million, so another larger fee levy would have to be passed by referendum at some point in the future in order to pay for the project.
So far very few decisions have been made about how best to fund the project. There is currently no agreed-upon projection or estimate of cost-per-student for various building scenarios.

Future Developments

Once the student space consultation is complete, the SFSS will retain the services of an architect to make detailed drawings of the building. These drawings will be a core part of the fee referendum - students will have the opportunity to vote on funding a specific plan. If the plan and funding are approved by the membership, the project can be put to tender for contractors to make bids on the construction. This entire phase, from consultation to construction, could take from 5 to 7 years.