Docks staying put

By Katy Anderson

After much deliberation, the tentative plans to move MacEwan Student Centre’s western loading docks have been pushed aside.

The university had been considering moving the docks to reduce traffic through the future Taylor Family Digital Library quadrangle, the area where Bermuda Shorts Day is currently held.

Moving the docks had been estimated to cost as much as $50 million.

Capital Program Office associate vice-president Steve Dantzer explained that Campus Infrastructure and the Students’ Union–who owns and operates MSC–looked into moving the docks because, if possible, it would reduce the flow of delivery truck traffic, making the quad more pedestrian friendly.

However, Dantzer noted that after further examination the decision to move the loading docks would be “virtually impossible.”

“The university has other priorities and they’re unable to allocate $10 million at this time,” said Dantzer.

Before any plans were finalized, SU vice-president operations and finance Fraser Stuart met with a transportation management specialist, a costing expert and the campus architect to look at a comprehensive study that was commissioned by the university.

“We sat down and looked at the issue of goods movement in our loading dock, how much actually come in our loading dock as well as our concert facilities,” said Stuart. “[The move] was just too big for anyone to pretend that we’ll be able to shoulder that.”

Stuart explained that the best choice is one that is the least disruptive to students, while providing the best access for vendors.

“To do that, it required us going below the grade with a long slope so the trucks could get down there and then us revamping elevators and creating some new manag- ement systems within the building,” he said. “That starts to rack up.”