Uni campus at Albany plans $15m social hub

The Albany plan includes a food hall, shops and a health centre. Photo / Supplied

Students at Massey University's Albany campus are to get a $15 million social hub with a food hall, shops and a health centre.

A multimillion-dollar accommodation complex for up to 250 students is also planned in the longer term. It is expected to be built behind the new amenities centre.

University vice-chancellor Steve Maharey said the amenities centre would provide a much-needed hub for student social life at the Albany campus.

"It will create a centre and heart on the campus. Our aim is the students will want to stay around the campus longer, not just come here for lectures or go to the library."

The centre, with an outdoor plaza, will be built between the Sir Neil Waters lecture theatres building and the Institute of Information and Mathematical Sciences.

Construction is due to start early next year and be completed by February 2012.

Albany Students Association president Rawa Karetai said the two-storey building would be a welcoming home base for the campus' 7000-odd students.

"The one thing we lack at Albany campus is a campus heart that attracts students to ... spend more time on campus.

"At the moment it's more of a transient campus," he said.

The new centre will have a food hall and indoor/outdoor social and dining space, retail outlets, allocated spaces for the association, Maori and Pasifika students, student clubs and the health and counselling centre.

Mr Karetai said the centre had been 10 years in the planning so it was very exciting to see it finally happening.

"We are quite ecstatic in getting it off the ground. I've been in the role for two years now and it's been one of my driving forces while being president."

He said students voted this year for an annual $180 levy towards the cost of the building for 15 years.

The plans for the accommodation block include a series of five-bedroom self-catering apartments for up to 100 students.

A university spokeswoman said plans for the accommodation complex were yet to receive final approval.