Announced Thursday evening, Iowa State students by an overwhelming 62 percent, voted no in supporting a student fee increase that would have funded part of the renovation and expansion of the Memorial Union.

The Memorial Union has partnered with Invision Architects to reinvent the space, where the company recommended a nearly 24,000-square-foot addition.

Renovations and expansions include:

• The repurposing of the 4th to 6th floors
• An increase in the current Multicultural Center space
• An additional 200 dining and lounge seats adjacent to the Memorial Union food court
• An increased student organization and collaboration space by 55 percent
• An increase to the size of the Veteran’s Center by nearly four times its current size
• An improvement in the facility infrastructure by addressing about 40 percent of the current deferred maintenance needs

In total, the renovations are expected to cost $65 million. 

If students would have voted yes on the referendum, student fees would have increased by $72 over the course of two years to total $99.55 per semester. The student fee increase would then last throughout the duration of the bond covering the project expenses – which is 20 years. 

Corey Williamson, interim director of the Memorial Union, urged students during the Feb. 15 Student Government meeting to keep in mind that the referendum is intended to improve the student experience at Iowa State.

Williamson said it is an obligation to maintain these services and facilities, as it a community project. 

According to the referenda introduced to the Senate, some of the potential funding sources have been identified and have committed a total of $10 million to the project. 

Once renovations begin, according the Memorial Union website, they will take five years to complete.