The old café will be redesigned as a student-friendly place.
The Fine Arts Student Alliance (FASA) discussed the renovation of Café X space during a general council meeting on Oct. 29.
Café X, formerly located in the VA building, and was known for offering an all-vegetarian menu with vegan and gluten-free options. It was forced to close in late 2017, after not generating profits. In 2016, FASA contributed $12,000 to the café during its final year to help pay off its tax debt. The group also helped with the expenses associated with the closure of the café last year.
FASA has been in consultations with a design company to come up with a new use for the old space. “We would like to make the Café X space a nicer, more friendly space for people to hang out in,” said Sara Jarvie-Clark, FASA’s general coordinator.
The total project is expected to cost $76,000. FASA is looking to contribute $40,000 and will be seeking external funds to cover the rest of the cost. “There will be very few continuous annual expenses associated with maintaining the space,” said Jordan Beaulieu, FASA’s office coordinator.
The old café will be turned into a multi-purpose space and will include a sink, coffee makers, a vending machine with healthy options, a computer and printer, as well as rearrangeable tables and chairs for meetings. The space will also include a blank wall for projections, so the space can be rented out for film screenings. The floors and walls will be renovated as well, and new lighting will be installed.
During the meeting, the council was slated to vote on one of three colour schemes for the floor, walls and counters in the space. Jarvie-Clark reassured members that the design company would not be using materials that are easily stainable. FASA councillors voted on a patterned floor but will consult the design company about the possibility of having dark floors and counters, which the current design options do not allow for.
The current renovations differ from the original plan in order to reduce the cost of the project and complete it quickly. “FASA will provide its own furniture for the space, rather than having the cost of furniture built into the cost of the renovation,” said Beaulieu. “Moving forward, we can do more updates to the space as we see fit.”
The timeline for the renovations is still being negotiated. Beaulieu said FASA hopes to start as soon as possible. “We’re not sure how long the renovation will take, though it’ll likely be pretty quick once it’s begun.”
Photos by Gabe Chevalier.
