A 55 percent majority of SF state students voted April 6 to 8 to pay $30 more a semester for the Cesar Chavez Student Center.

Only 2,198 students cast their vote in the fee increase proposed in Proposition C. SF State’s Fee Advisory Committee now will consider the proposition and then present the referendum to President Robert Corrigan. Corrigan can California State University Chancellor Charles Reed can turn down the fee increase still.

The additional student fee, which will go into effect Fall 2005, would increase by $10 every fall semester until 2008.

Guy Dalpe, managing director of the Cesar Chavez Student Center, already has a master plan for renovating the building and providing additional restaurants with the extra money the center will receive.

“We would like to bring additional restaurants, possibly Thai, Japanese or Filipino, to the West Plaza,” Dalpe said. “The small vendors outside, such as Bark ‘N' Bun, we would like to rebuild, so that they’re up to code fire, plumbing, heating and ventilating wise.”

Dalpe foresees the production of additional restaurants going into effect within a year. He also has plans to renovate the restrooms on the Mezzanine floor of the student center within a year and a half.

“Our last referendum increase, from $30 to $52, was in 1991,” Dalpe said. “We budgeted the increase to last us until 2001. We managed, however, to stretch the fee to 13 years."

The student center is a separate entity from SF State. The center does not receive state funding, leaving them completely reliant on sale revenue and the student fee.

Kristen Farr, SF State student and SFSU bookstore clerk, agreed that the Cesar Chavez building could use some beautification.

“Downstairs is like a dungeon,” Farr said of the lower Mezzanine area. “I know that it’s a basement, and there’s not much that anyone can do about that. But it’s cold and stinky down there.”

Dalpe also said that the additional funds the Student Center receives will give them the option of offering better medical and retirement benefits and more competitive wages.

“We would also like to extend the center’s hours of operation,” Dalpe said. “Right now, a lot of the businesses close at 7 p.m. We would like to extend those hours until at least 9 p.m.-- possibly later -- if students show an overwhelming approval of the later schedule.”