A RESOLUTION REGARDING THE PLANS FOR THE SAC GYM SPACE
AUTHORED BY: Senate Speaker Mick
WHEREAS
The current Student Affairs plan for utilization of the current intramural and student fitness space would provide students with 50,000 square feet of newly renovated meeting space. This would cost $9.4 million, of which $1.2 million has already been saved over the course of the last two years. This results in an $8.2 million bond, paid for by the Student Activities Fee. This shall be referred to as Plan A.
WHEREAS
Athletics intends to purchase 24,000 square feet of gym space formerly allocated to the student fitness center for $2 million ($83/sqft). This would go towards financing an $11.5 million expansion onto the SAC for new meeting space ($269/sqft). This plan does not include money for equipping the new space, or renovating the existing 25,000 square feet that would remain student space. This shall be referred to as Plan B.
WHEREAS
Plan B also includes a provision to utilize $2.5 million from the housing reserves. This money is allocated for the renovation and rebuilding in the event that a disaster renders a portion of campus housing uninhabitable. Utilizing this ‘insurance’ money in any way except its original intent is tantamount to gambling with the future of housing on campus, and is completely
unacceptable.
WHEREAS
Plan B would result in a $7 million bond, paid for by the Student Activities Fee. However, including the housing reserves equals a total fee to students and student affairs of $9.5 million.
WHEREAS
Based upon these numbers, Plan B would cost $100,000 more without including costs to renovate existing space or equipping new space.
WHEREAS
For these two plans to be financially equivalent for students, an additional $5 million would have to be contributed by athletics: $2.5 million to replace the money that was to come from the housing reserves, $1.5 million to equip the new space (approximately 12.5% of the total cost), and $1 million for renovating the existing 25,000 sqft of SAC space.
WHEREAS
Even these numbers do not address the benefit of reserving more space in the SAC to directly benefit students. Keeping all of the space together creates a valuable cohesive space for student organizations and events to utilize.
THEREFORE BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED
That the University of Louisville Student Senate believes that the ~24,000 sqft currently comprising the fitness center gyms should remain space that is able to utilized by all students, and therefore opposes any sale of this space to athletics.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
That the University of Louisville Student Senate fully supports the Student Affairs plan (Plan A) for renovation of the SAC space.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
That Student Government President KurtisFrizzellbe tasked with supporting this resolution at all subsequent relevant meetings.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
That upon its passage, a copy of this resolution be sent to the University President, Provost, and Vice President for Business Affairs.