The remodeling of Eastern Washington University’s Pence Union Building — known affectionately as the PUB — that has been on the horizon for a couple of years is finally happening.
In February 2015, Eastern students voted 1,052-983 — a 51.2 percent vote — to approve a $65-68 per quarter PUB fee in the 2015 school year to help fund the remodel. The fee will increase to $80-85 per quarter starting in 2018, raising approximately $30 million to help pay for construction. In an earlier interview with the Cheney Free Press, former ASEWU (Associated Students of Eastern Washington University) president Dahir “D.J.” Jigre said the student activity fund contributed $2 million to the PUB remodel.
There were several concerns among students going into the vote and proposed remodel. Jigre said the decision to add an additional $65 to each student’s fees, reflected a number of different concerns students have over the issue.
On one hand, he said students complained about not enough power outlets and lack of dining options and lighting. However students who will graduate — or graduated — before the remodel didn’t want to be charged for something they will not use. Student fees run $627 a year, over and above tuition, room and board, according to Jigre. Those include tech fees, health insurance and the University Recreation Center fee, among other things. He added the effort was made to keep the added fee below $100.
“We wanted to keep it realistic, something we could afford,” he said.
The goals for the remodeled PUB include improving dining options, the multi-purpose room and student event spaces, increasing student lounge and “hangout” spaces, developing additional collaborative workspace for student clubs and organizations and updating the building’s design to be open and light-filled, addressing safety concerns and making the building more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
The PUB’s current structure also has in excess of $10 million in deferred maintenance.
At a May board of trustees meeting, the BOT moved the project into the next phase by approving the new student fees and authorizing the search for an architectural firm. Perkins and Will architecture firm was hired to do the pre-design work, construction and phasing plan of the remodel. Ground breaking for the remodel is expected this spring.
Mary Voves, vice president of business and finance, said the PUB will remain open during the construction though some dining services will be moving into Tawanka Hall.
“We will be moving some things in and out of the PUB as we move through the phases of reconstruction,” she added.
The PUB was built in 1970 and had a major addition in 1995. It was named for Omer O. Pence, an Eastern Washington State College grad and faculty member.
The PUB remodel comes 10 years after students approved a fee increase of $55 per person to fund the University Recreation Center. Eastern is engaging in other construction projects, such as the EWU Interdisciplinary Science Center (ISC) and the Nature Environmental Science Testing and Teaching Center (NESTT). According to the EWU website, the PUB remodel will not affect any of the other campus construction projects.
Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].
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