The long-awaited redevelopment of the St Andrews Students’ Association building in St Mary’s Place has been given the green light.
The University Court has agreed that work can start on a top-to-bottom revamp of the union costing up to £12 million.
The distinctive building has largely remained unchanged since it was built for a much smaller student population in the 1970s.
The news has been warmly welcomed by St Andrews student leaders and the Students’ Association, which is to contribute £750,000 of its own funds to the redevelopment.
Contractors are due to move in to begin major works on March 4, almost 40 years to the day that work began on the old union.
It is hoped the project will be complete by the end of 2015.
The revamped union will include:
* A new entrance which will transform the current car park area.
* A new street-facing caf, run for students and the public, by students.
* New venues, with the current Venue One split into two distinct spaces: a flexible performance space and a 600-person capacity entertainment venue, with a lounge area for an additional 270 people.
* A dramatic expansion and improvement in terms of society space on the middle and top floors of the union. Overall, society space will increase from eight rooms to 14, with an overall increase of 40%, as measured in square metres. This will include a design suite, radio broadcasting facility and film editing suite.
* On the top floor, two large, flexible-use rooms will be introduced, both suitable for rehearsals
* The current Venue 2 will be reworked into a sky bar serving wine and cocktails, and aimed especially at post-graduate students. An acoustic/sports venue located on the ground floor may replace the current “live venue” functions of Venue 2.
* The current main bar will be broken up into smaller areas, each with its own identity and suitable for studying, socialising and relaxing. Two of the booths will be designed as Skype pods, so international students can keep in touch with friends and family.
* A greener, more sustainable building, aiming to be among the best in St Andrews.
Association president Freddie Fforde said: “This is a real landmark. After more than a decade of trying to find a solution, there is now a future for our building.
“The university has shown a real understanding of student needs in committing hard cash to support the vital services that we provide.
“We have been saving up for this moment over many years, despite an increasingly difficult environment. This is a real success story about what the association and university can achieve when we work together.
“I am most excited by what this means for our student societies. Many hundreds each year go on to form careers built around their extra-curricular experiences at St Andrews. We think we have the largest number of student societies anywhere in the UK but we know we have the best.”
Professor Lorna Milne said: “The building hadn’t changed much since I was a student and I am delighted that we are now able to work with the students’ association to deliver long-awaited and innovative improvements.
“We want the union to be a central part of the St Andrews experience and it should match the high standards we achieve in so many other areas of university life.
“The university has to be extremely careful about the way it spends and commits money in this challenging and volatile economic climate but the union has long been a priority for us and giving the green light to this major project is a reflection of how much we value the St Andrews student experience.”
malexander@thecourier.co.uk