SSRE to stay in the Bunker for the time being, villa renovations delayed

As yet SSRE has been unable to take up residence in its new premises on Vestdijk. The renovation plans of the student association, which until recently had hoped to be able to relocate to the monumental villa this month, are considerably behind schedule. SSRE hopes that the work on Vestdijk 22 will soon get underway.

As negotiations with various parties are ongoing, Housing Commissioner Valery Visser of SSRE is keen not to say too much at this time about the delay. Although she has revealed that TU/e's final approval of the plans, which the association expected to receive in December, has been postponed "because some problems have come to light. We are now working on solutions, together with the university and other relevant parties." SSRE hopes to have the construction schedule finalized in a month's time: "We are currently hard at work getting everything down on paper." In any event, by October 1st at the latest, the association must leave its familiar home in the Bunker. "We have permission to go ahead and hold the Introduction Week here," says Visser. Whether moving to Vestdijk immediately afterwards is an attainable objective, she doesn't know. "Until we have a construction schedule, I'm afraid I can't say anything about that." As strategic real estate manager at TU/e's Real Estate Management, Anneke Dupont has been involved in the process. She too is reluctant to divulge what has gone wrong over the past six months. “Those involved know what has happened; I don't think it would be wise to dwell on it. For SSRE in any case it has been a learning process.” On Monday afternoon SSRE and Real Estate Management held another meeting “to get a number of things in order, in particular financial matters,” says Dupont. “After that, the renovation can get underway.” SSRE purchased the monumental villa at Vestdijk 22, previously in use as offices, in October 2015. The building is in need of renovation and will be extended at the rear. The new annex of 155 square meters will be used by the Eunaia society.

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