Good news finally for students in Split.
After six and half years of various problems and difficulties, the Index student canteen at Svačićeva Street has finally been opened. It will receive its first guests immediately after the New Year, when university classes restart after the holiday break, reports Dalmatinski Portal on December 28, 2015.
Gordana Raos, director of the Split Student Centre, recalled everything that had happened during the last six years: from unsolved property issues and arguments with the Ministry of Science about funds needed for the canteen, to complaints of neighbours who worried about possible noise made by air conditioner located in the courtyard of the building, which caused a temporary pause in construction works. “The canteen was born with great difficulties, almost like in a painful labour”, said the director who received a mocking applause by one of the neighbours from a window of the building next door. “We intend to use the canteen during the summer as well, in agreement with the theatre and tourist agencies”, Raos announced.
The student canteen covers an area of 300 square metres, has a capacity for 80 people and will serve up to 500 meals a day. Although prior to renovation and property disputes the canteen covered 800 square metres, the director assured everybody that the newly-renovated restaurant will be able to meet the needs of university students located in the city centre.
The official ceremony took place at the same time while Croatian Parliament was meeting in Zagreb, which meant that many dignitaries, including minister of science and prefect of the Split-Dalmatia County, were not present. However, mayor of Split Ivo Baldasar congratulated the director and her team. The city authorities also gave their contribution to the project by donating part of the land on which canteen’s storage area has been built.
The whole investment is worth about 4 million kuna and has been completed exactly 40 years after it first opened its doors. At that time, in 1975, it was the only student canteen in Split.
Representatives of the employees of the Split Student Centre gave a symbolic gift to Raos and announced that they will support her for the next term as director. The public competition for that post will be announced soon. Let us add that a new gym has been opened on the premises of the Student Campus, and that additional canteens will soon be opened at one of the student dormitories and at the Faculty of Medicine.
