By The total cost of the renovation and expansion to the University Student Union is currently $294 million, plus $21 million for relocations, temporary services and accessibility improvements, such as the Friendship Walk stairway.
This leaves Long Beach State’s Future U project with a total cost of $315 million.
Assistant Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Student Auxiliary Enterprises Sylvana Cicero said they are making sure to be fiscally responsible with funds and continue to invest in long term benefits.
Cicero said the floor plans for the project are almost done, but everything that is scheduled to be in the new USU is what they’ve been talking about with students over the past years.
This includes:
- Basic Needs expanded.
- More and faster elevators.
- A student/parent family lounge.
- Eight concepts of food/restaurants.
- Re-envisioned Nugget.
- A double in size of the Beach Pantry.
- A double in size of the kitchen.
Cicero said the USU will also be getting a full wellness center, featuring a lawn area, more massage chairs and mental health therapy rooms.
In their efforts to improve the wellness center, Cicero and her team visited California State University, Northridge’s Oasis Wellness Center and saw how much students at CSULB might benefit from a center similar to the one at CSUN. Cicero said they also recently received a $3.5 million donation by doctors Sabira and Nasir Tejani to enhance the wellness center.
When it comes to the resources students need, Cicero said students have always had a voice, but the team remains open to any suggestions and ideas.
Graphic Credit: El Nicklin
Starting Fall 2025, the USU student fee will increase by $284 to support the construction and renovations. The USU fee increase is also set to help support student spaces, services and programs while construction is ongoing. The increase brings the semester total to $504.
ASI Vice President of Finance Andre Achacon said the USU fee had to go up in order to start collecting additional revenue to pay for the project. Achacon said ASI is using their reserves to pay for the initial payment of the project.
In order for ASI to be responsible with student fees, they place leftover funds into reserves. These reserves have been built over the years and are used in cases of catastrophes, capital expenditures, self insurance and future business requirements.
Achacon said the improved USU aims to address a lot of challenges students are facing such as:
- Food insecurity
- Student success
- Sense of community
“When you look at the current student union and the rec center, students before us paid for these projects to happen, and we enjoy the facilities today,” Achacon said. “I love going to the rec center, and that’s because students made the sacrifice, the temporary sacrifice for future generations.”
Achacon said a lot of issues are going to be addressed in this new project that will bring a sense of community and belonging to campus. He said that he’s willing to make the sacrifice so that future generations can have the benefits of a new USU.
“If the students in the ’70s had not raised the fees, we wouldn’t be in this building today. It’s paying it forward to future students,” Cicero said.
Cicero said she understands students’ frustration on having to pay an increased fee, adding, “We are open to graduates, alumni and families. They can come back to use our facilities.”
The first step of the Future U project is the renovation of the Friendship Walk stairways which begins April 14 and will be finished and accessible during the upcoming fall semester. Construction of the USU should end by summer 2028 with the official reopening scheduled for August 2028, according to a CSULB news article.
