The St. Thomas University students’ union has been told to shelve the idea of moving offices to a Windsor Street home, which is owned by the university.
“From the way the university sees it now, the Windsor Street properties are completely off the table,” said STUSU president Mark Livingstone.
The union is looking at options for office space closer to campus and outside the Student Union Building on the University of New Brunswick campus.
One idea Livingstone put forward was turning one of the eight Windsor Street homes the university owns into an office.
Livingstone met with university administration last week to discuss options.
“Under any arrangement, financial agreement or not, they are not interested in us [STUSU] occupying one of those buildings,” he said.
“They’re uncomfortable with us being there in any long-term agreement because they want to have those buildings for any future development by the university and that is that.”
University spokesmen Jeffrey Carleton said the university understands “they’re in a circumstance that is less than ideal, however the Windsor Street option is not the best one for several reasons.”
Carteton said other than keeping the area open for future development, the university does not want to lose revenue they make from students renting the homes. Changing the city zoning to allow for office space would also be problematic, he said.
Livingstone said he’s considering moving from the SUB because UNB students want greater control of the building.
Over $10 million in deferred maintenance also has at least one UNB administrator talking about a potential $150 fee to help cover renovation costs.
Livingstone says the move to STU’s campus would also make students more aware of the STUSU’s presence.
He said he asked the university to think of the students’ union if any space on campus opens in the future.
