The USSU is examining options for upgrades to Place Riel that would increase space to provide better services to students.
In addition to a total renovation of the building, the USSU wants to expand its space by moving into the first floor of the adjacent Qu’Appelle Hall addition or by adding a second floor to Place Riel, explained newly-elected President Ryan Allan.
The expansion would allow the USSU to move its offices from lower Place Riel to the main floor, making it more visible and accessible to students. Lower Place Riel could then house services like a grocery store, pharmacy, optometrist, and insurance agent, Allan explained.
“The idea is it would really be a student central – anything a student would need … they would be able to come to campus and do at this facility,” he said.
Place Riel was completed in 1980, and plans for renovations have been in the works since 2000. About 21,000 people now pass through Place Riel every day – a far greater number than the building was designed for, said USSU general manager Caroline Cottrell.
Adding a second floor to the west half of Place Riel would require major structural upgrades and would close the building for a year. That’s not an option, said Allan, so the students’ union is waiting to learn if a second floor can instead be added to the east side of Place Riel, enabling them to keep the rest of the building open.
The USSU estimates the cost of renovations at $9-14 million. It plans to take a proposal to University Council in January and hopes work on Place Riel will begin in May 2007.
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