By Kirk Laughlin

The location of a future Student Health Center has been put into question with the purchase of offices in Central Station by the University of Louisville in mid-November.

The Student Government Association, which has advocated for an on-campus site, balked at the idea of placing the Student Health Center in Central Station because of its distance from the student populace.

Central Station is located on the corner of Central Ave. and Third St., which is six blocks, or approximately one mile, from the Student Activities Center on Belknap campus.

“This building needs to be convenient and provide more health services to our student population,” said SGA President Brian Hoffman.

During the summer, SGA was asked to review its support for the Houchens location when the purchase of the Central Station venue was made available. SGA reaffirmed its support of the Houchens plan, citing its proximity to students and its desire to put all student services in the “service corridor” along Brook St., as prescribed by the university’s campus master plan.

A Facebook petition sponsored by SGA, and signed by over 300 U of L students, protests the consideration the university has given to the location on Central.

However, a decision on the site has yet to be made.

“The provost’s office and the administration have yet to make a decision on the location and are looking at all the options and data available,” said John Drees, U of L’s vice president for communication and marketing.

Drees said the university is looking for the facility that will provide the best possible service to students with the lowest cost to students.

Academic Vice President Matt Flairty said the location on Central was on the table in several university discussions, and that SGA hopes to snuff the option out early.

Hoffman added, “We build hospitals in cities because that is where the people are. Using this same logic, a student health building makes sense here on campus.”

In an SGA report released on Nov. 14 authored by Flairty and signed by the other SGA executives, the differences in the two locations were addressed.

Though the university implied the Houchens location would cost more, SGA pointed out that the on-campus location plan has 30,000 sq. ft. of space while the building on Central has only 15,000 sq. ft.

SGA contends that these plans can be altered and that the university has not been able to clearly explain why the size and cost of the proposed facility is double what it needs to be.

According to Flairty, U of L has not adequately opened up the discussion on the costs of these buildings.

U of L students vary in their opinions concerning the health center.

“The facility ought to be in a location on campus and convenient to students,” Varsha Sareen, a freshman psychology major.

“It is absolutely absurd to ask students needing medical care to drive off of campus to receive it,” Kyle Riggs, SGA Chief Justice, said.

But sophomore James Allsbrook thinks cost might be the most important issue at stake.

“I don’t think its [the location on Central] a bad idea if the university can save money,” said Allsbrook, a biology major. “The same people screaming for lower tuition are the ones demanding a costly location.”