UFV expansion wishlist includes Abbotsford theatre, Chilliwack science building

The University of the Fraser Valley wants to build a new science building on its Chilliwack campus. That’s the suggested top priority for the university’s new five-year capital plan, though if the building (and others in the document) get built will depend largely on the whims of the provincial government.

Each year, public universities in BC put together a list of capital projects it hopes to build. That capital plan then goes to the province for approval. If the university is lucky, it will get funding to follow through on its ambitions. Previous plans have included pitches for a technology hub building that never received the province’s financial support. The government did provide money for new student housing.

The UFV’s new capital plan lists five different priorities, according to a draft document presented to the university’s board.

The first priority is the new life sciences building in Chilliwack. (Life sciences broadly focus on the study of organisms, including plants and animals. Subjects can include biology, psychology, biochemistry and agriculture-related science.)

“This new building will provide space for study and work-integrated learning opportunities for students, support student wellness and mental health, and enhance research partnerships between faculty and industries,” the university says.

“New classrooms and laboratories are needed to strategically grow agricultural and other life sciences programming to meet the needs of the region and provide students with the skills needed for jobs in these programming areas.”

The university’s second priority is a “multi-media performance land project” on the Abbotsford campus. In addition to various classroom and community uses, UFV said the site could be the new performance space for theatre program productions.

Other capital projects the university hopes to undertake include a major renovation of two Abbotsford campus buildings, the creation of a new health sciences lab in Chilliwack, and a new energy plant for its Abbotsford campus.

Whether or not any of the projects become a reality will depend on provincial funding. News on that could arrive at any time—or never at all.