The long-awaited construction site at University and Union is now open to the public.
After years of planning, consulting, and building, the John Deutsch University Centre (JDUC) officially opened its doors on May 5. Construction began in May of 2022, with the revitalized JDUC now providing offices for the AMS, SGPS, Rector, Student Experience Office, and Peer Centre. The JDUC will also offer club space, 6,000 square feet of public study space, along with food and retail options.
READ MORE: JDUC set to open in May
AMS President, Jana Amer, spoke about her excitement to be back in the JDUC, after their temporary relocation to LaSalle during the revitalization.
“It feels surreal, I can’t imagine that we’re here today. It feels like I am sitting amongst a decade of student leaders who have worked so hard to make this building come to life, and it’s an immense privilege that I hold to be one of the people that gets to take this torch that’s been ed down for the last 10 years,” Amer said in an interview with The Journal.
The Journal toured the newly revitalized JDUC to see what’s in store for students this fall
Food
The updated space will feature a variety of food options—both student-run and external vendors—designed to appeal to diverse student tastes. Run by the AMS, The Queen’s Pub Restaurant and Bar is set to reopen on June 3 after a four-year closure, now located on the first floor instead of the second.
Alongside The Pub’s new location comes a brand-new patio space facing Union and University. The summer operating hours for the pub are Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The patio will be open in the summer from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. then close up starting in September.
READ MORE: Queen’s Pub gears up to return as an on-campus food staple
Another returning AMS service is Common Ground (CoGro) Coffeehouse’s sister location, “The Brew.” The Brew is a traditional coffee shop that will offer similar products to CoGro, along with a small seating area.
Overseeing all AMS services, including the pub and The Brew, is Vice-President (Operations) Elena Nurzynski. “Service specific, being in the central hub of student life is going to drive operational excellence. Our services feel empowered to be better, faster, more efficient, to really serve the students that are going to come in and use those services,” Nurzynski said in an interview with The Journal.
Aside from AMS restaurants, the JDUC will also become home to Clove and Spice, which will offer Mediterranean-inspired shawarma, and KHAO, which will provide an Asian fusion blend of options.
Retail Spaces
Similar to the JDUC’s food scene, retailers will come in both student-led and independent forms.
The AMS’s TriColour Outlet has completed its move to the JDUC, providing Queen’s merchandise within the student center.
As for non-student led vendors, the University has yet to release what tenants will get a spot in the JDUC. Tony Gkotsis, director of campus planning and real estate, explained in an interview with The Journal, that planning is ongoing, but student voices have been taken into consideration for deciding potential tenants.
“I know that a lot of work [from the SGPS and AMS] was undertaken around student surveys and opinions of what types of services were wanted in the JUDC. Beyond that, it’s really building on the services the AMS and SGPS provide, finding appropriate locations for them in the building, and then supplementing that with commercial tenants,” Gkotsis said.
The retail locations are set to open at the start of the Fall term.
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