In September, President Gaius Ilupeju approved expenditures totaling 4.4 million dollars for two capital projects to improve the facilities of the Coffee House (CoHo) and Unitrans. The initial funding for these projects was allocated through Senate Bill #1, a bill that the ASUCD President is required to introduce at the start of every academic year and that enacts the operational budget for the entire organization. Unlike previous iterations of the same bill, SB#1_FQ24 made various amendments and included the facility renovation projects.

The first of these projects is the Coffee House (COHO) West Addition and Renovation which seeks to renovate the main CoHo facility in the Memorial Union by expanding the building, creating an outdoor seating area, increased patio space and a gender inclusive restroom. In addition to utility costs, the project will provide increased bike parking and support minor site improvements. The final cost is estimated to range between $4,760,000 to $4,820,000, of which $2,700,000 was allocated by Senate Bill #1.

The second project is the Unitrans Facility Renovation & Expansion, an $8.5 Million project to redesign the main Unitrans facility to “accommodate current and future needs” and create a centralized location for all Unitrans operations. Currently, the administrative office for Unitrans is located at South Hall, while the buses, trainers, and mechanics are housed at the Unitrans Maintenance Facility, which is located on La Rue Rd. Upon completion, the new facility will consolidate all staff under one building with additional space built for projected expansion. 

This project is timely because Unitrans is simultaneously pursuing fleet electrification, which would allow it to fully transition to zero-emissions buses. Consequently, the Executive Office believes it's imperative that the facility is updated to support this critical expansion. Before the passage of SB#1, Unitrans had procured $1.79 Million. The addition of $1.7 Million for ASUCD General Reserves will advance the project's development, and Unitrans plans to meet the remaining deficit through competitive state and federal grants.

In a statement to the Press Office, President Ilupeju emphasized the importance of these appropriations: “As our two largest commercial units, Unitrans and the Coffee House serve thousands of students daily, which makes it imperative that their facilities are able to meet present and foreseeable challenges to ensure that they can continue to serve current and future generations of students.”