Rent increases proposed for pubs

By Josh Rutenberg     2/12/09 6:00pm

[Editor's Note: Upon receipt of an e-mail from Student Center Director Boyd Beckwith containing corrected numbers and additional information pertaining to the proposed Valhalla rent increases, the Thresher editorial board updated the following story (update posted to Web on Sunday, Feb. 15). The original story stated that Vahalla's proposed increase amounted to a 147 percent change.]Valhalla's reputation for inexpensive beer may soon take a hit as the graduate pub attempts to make up for a proposed 30 percent rent increase next year.

While nothing is set in stone yet, the increase proposed by Director for Risk Management Renee Block, who sets the rent payments for Willy's Pub and Valhalla every year, would raise rent and custodial fees to a total of $1,678 per month, up 30 percent from this year's $1,291. The increase is the result of economic strain on the university, Valhalla Manager David Fortunato said. Willy's Pub will also be affected by the rent increase, although at this time its proposed payment is undecided.

Block, who works in the office of the Vice President for Investments, declined to be interviewed for this article, stressing that the decisions were not yet final.

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Student Center Director Boyd Beckwith said the rise in rent reflects an increase in university utility cost and that by raising rent on the pubs, Rice is trying to recover some of that increase. Beckwith is

Fortunato said he is concerned that the price increase Valhalla will have to implement to make up for lost business will make it difficult for Valhalla to remain competitive with pubs in Rice Village.

"The problem is that such a high rate increase necessitates an increased price in goods," he said. "Since the customers' disposable income won't increase, we will have to increase prices more to compensate."

Fortunato said that by having establishments such as Valhalla on campus, Rice promotes a healthy, safe environment for drinking.

"The university fails to consider the intangible benefits we provide," he said.

In addition to safety concerns, Fortunato said that without Valhalla, graduate students would have no place on campus to call their own apart from the graduate lounge in the Rice Memorial Center.

"Imagine a Rice without Valhalla," Fortunato said.

Bioengineering graduate student Joe Hoffman agreed.

"Valhalla is such a big part of Rice culture," he said. "It would be such a tragedy if it didn't exist. Honestly, Valhalla is one of the factors that made me come to Rice. It's nice to come here after class and have a beer."

Fortunato said Valhalla is the graduate equivalent to a college commons, the social center of graduate student life and a place where students from all backgrounds can come to socialize. He said that losing Valhalla would mean losing a way to bridge the division gap of students in different departments.

"Grads are bent, facilities people are bent, even some alumni are bent," Fortunato said.

Fortunato said Valhalla relies heavily on alumni to fund projects - the installation of a new bottle cooler last summer was made possible by the donation of more than $50,000 from alumni, who he said share his view that Valhalla is a part of culture at Rice.

At the last president's office hour, a group on behalf of Valhalla and Willy's Pub approached President David Leebron about the rent increase. Although Leebron was unaware of the proposal prior to the conversation, he said the burden was not the administration's intent and that the administration would facilitate meetings between the pubs and those in charge of increasing rent prior to any final decision.

Rice currently subsidizes rent for Valhalla and Willy's Pub and absorbs some liability for the two establishments, Fortunato said. However, Beckwith said this may no longer be the case. He is currently working with the administration to come up with the final cost of rent for the upcoming fiscal year.

"The university is looking at all the ways it can cover costs," Beckwith said. "In the past, the university has significantly subsidized the rent [on Valhalla and Willy's Pub]. The university can no longer afford to do that.

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