The AMS is moving several popular clubs that are currently in the old SUB to create a multi-use space for academic departments and the remaining clubs.
The Bike Co-op and Kitchen, Sprouts, the Aqua Society and the Pottery Club are among those that will be moved to new spaces around campus once the renovations to the old SUB begin this summer. The clubs that remain in the old SUB did not make the move to the Nest originally because they heavily rely on their unique space. These specific spatial needs couldn’t be met in the Nest.
Although the clubs might have difficulty maintaining their membership levels during the move, the AMS has made a promise of long-term benefits for the evicted clubs such as a permanent space that will be designed specifically for each club in coordination with club executives.
“The high level of function of these clubs and their dependency on space is why the resources are being put towards giving them that highly specialized renovated space with exactly what they need,” said Ava Nasiri, AMS VP Administration, saying that despite these rewards, she sees any feelings of anxiety on the part of club execs as completely valid.
That anxiety may come from being unsure of where each club will be in the next academic year. However, the AMS VP Admin office — the primary point of communication for all clubs being affected by the renovation — is trying to alleviate these anxieties by proper communication regarding all issues that may arise.
According to Renee Proulx, vice-president of Sprouts, after being told that the plans were moved forward, they were given the new building plans. Proulx noted that the AMS has made a commitment to being as transparent as possible with the displacement of the clubs.
“The AMS is being accommodating in that they know we need a space and they are not going to leave us high and dry,” she said. “This has been years in the making … we’ve had people come in and talk to us about what we needed and what kind of things we would look for in an ideal space and we have been going over plans for years.”
The exact placement of each club will be decided within the next few months while the renovations of the basement are estimated to be completed in September 2017.