Overhauling Sproul May Require Fee Increases

As plans to remodel Lower Sproul Plaza get off the ground, students may be asked to contribute to the multimillion-dollar effort to renovate the space.

ASUC Auxiliary Director Nadesan Permaul spoke to the senate Wednesday night and said the ASUC has the potential to make headway on the project within the next year.

“The ASUC is in a better position to hold up its end of the process,” Permaul said.

While the total cost of the undertaking is still unknown, Permaul said he estimated the revitalization project could cost millions of dollars.

“Any capital renovation these days is expensive,” Permaul said.

ASUC President Oren Gabriel said he expected the funding to come from a combination of student fees and donations. As a result, students may see a fee increase referendum in the near future, he said.

“Students need to be prepared to pay for some part of the project,” Gabriel said. “They will be given the chance to vote on a fee hike in the future.”

Revitalization of Lower Sproul Plaza has been a frequently discussed issue in recent years. However, Permaul said the chancellor has begun to advocate in support of the renovation, which could lend force to the push for the remodeling by the ASUC and student-oriented offices.

“In the past, Lower Sproul has not had a champion,” Permaul said. “Now, the chancellor has made it a priority. He’s seen that the project has languished for a long time.”

The first phase of the project will require the creation of a conceptual plan based on student input into what they want to see in the plaza, Gabriel said.

Some students on Lower Sproul Plaza yesterday said they would like to see a better use of the space.

“I feel like we should have more cafe-type things,” said sophomore Ayae Yamamoto, a biology major. “(The plaza) can be used to incorporate more students.”

Some business owners in the Bear’s Lair also said they were in favor of the revitalization, adding that the renovation of the plaza could bring more student business to the area.

“The better it looks, the more money that is made,” said owner of The Coffee Spot Haitham Alloun.

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