Optometrist’s office to expand

By Fabian Mayer, July 23 2015 —

Students hoping to get an appointment at MacHall’s optometrist will soon have shorter wait times as Campus Vision is expanding into the space currently occupied by the nickel copiers.

The copiers, where students can make photocopies for five cents per page, will be moving to a space across from the University of Calgary bookstore.

Students’ Union vice-president operations and finance Sarah Pousette said more students are taking advantage of their health plans, necessitating the expansion.

“They’ve been experiencing a big increase in demand for their services with a lot of students going to it. So they asked if there was any way that they could have more space,” Pousette said.

The added space will become a second examination room. There is no estimated completion date yet but construction will likely take place during the fall term.

According to Pousette, the decision to approve Campus Vision’s expansion was a straightforward one. She believes students should be able to see an optometrist quickly.

“During the school year you’re having to wait for appointments so they’re trying to alleviate that. So that students, if they need an eye check, can get it right away,” Pousette said.

Although fewer students are using the nickel copiers, Pousette said they did not want to get rid of them altogether.

“We recognize that there are still a students that like the nickel copiers,” Pousette said. “We tried to find a very visible accessible place to put them so they’re going to be going across from where the bookstore is.”

Campus Vision will pay for the expansion and the SU will charge a management fee to ensure the renovation meets MacHall’s building codes. The cost of leasing the space will increase proportionally to the increase in square footage.