UBC’s plans to demolish its BC Research building, which includes the BC Ocean

Engineering Centre has come under fire from students, professors, and industry representatives. The 30-year old building includes two 67 metre long tow tanks, which have been used to design small vessels, yachts, tugs, and offshore supply vessels, as well as new projects like wave-generated power. Dan McFreer, part of a local industry group trying to save the facility, argues that only minor updates are necessary to the building, which generates up to one million dollars per year from corporate usage. The cost of a brand new building would run at a cost of around $8 million. The facility is one of two University run ones in Canada, the other located in Saint John’s, N.L.

The University, however, argues that the facility is taking up land that could be put to better use, has little academic value, and is outdated. In an open letter on October 11^th from Byron Braley, the Associate Vice-President of Treasury explained that the building is already going through “asbestos abatement.” Braley also argued that: “if a facility requires literally millions of dollars worth of upgrades, but does not have a collateral academic programme or is only of marginal interest to our existing professoriate, then surely sustaining such a building is not tenable.” At press time, the building was still standing, but locked up with plans to demolish it in November.