An effort to renovate Memorial Union and construct a new south campus union building will likely earn a spot on the Associated Students of Madison's March 28 ballot if a petition introducing the initiative earns the required amount of student signatures.
As of Thursday, the Wisconsin Union Facilities Improvement Plan had collected 1,800 of the 1,950 signatures it needs to be placed on the ASM ballot. The quota reflects 5 percent of the student population.
Since last week, the WUFIP has collected even more signatures, and Union President and UW-Madison senior Janell Wise said the proposal will pass.
'We're well above what we need to get the ballot,' she said.
The proposed plan will cost $169.1 million, 58 percent of which will come from student segregated fees. This entails students paying $96 per semester for the next 30 years beginning fall 2007.
'The majority of students who take time to read the financial aspects of the project agree, while it is a significant amount of money for students, it is well worth it both for current students and future students to make this investment,' said UW-Madison senior Adam Robinson, the student performance director of the Wisconsin Union Directorate.
Though Union officials say the plan has found wide acceptance, there has been some criticism.
'After some people hear about any increase [of student segregated fees], they stubbornly refuse to hear more about it,' said Christena Gunther, head of the arts committee at the Wisconsin Union Directorate.
However, the Wisconsin Union will also receive funding from private donations, Union operating revenue and potential state and federal funds. Though they have not solidified any specific sponsors, 'the results of the election will be key in showing donors students' support,' Wise said.
Robinson said that after students voted down an outdated Union renovation plan in the ASM elections last year, it was time to develop a new plan.
Starting from scratch, the Union now hopes to move forward in bringing much-needed improvements to both Memorial Union and Union South.
'The Union has always been about students, and we want it to continue to be about student power,' Robinson said.
