In 2009 Unitas left the Generaal Foulkesweg for financial reasons. Since then the association has had no luck with new locations. The past year the board had been holding meetings in the Volkshuis at the Vergerswegand a separate place was rented for parties and activities. However, the Volkshuis was becoming too small, upon which the association had to search on. Their eyes fell on the building on Generaal Foulkesweg, that through a foundation of former members of Unitas was still in possession of the association, according to Unitas chairman Thijs Schepman.
‘The building is for sale and is therefore available. We have not found another place in Wageningen where we can accommodate Unitas. Nostalgic reasons were thus not decisive in the decision to return.’ Since half of November all the office and meeting activities are being held on the Wageningen mountain. In the coming period the association is going to explore if also the rest of the activities can return to the Generaal Foulkesweg. Thijs: ‘Organizationally it is easier to have everything in the same place and it gives us the flexibility to schedule spontaneous parties.’
However, there is a lot of overdue maintenance on the property, the student in Economy and policies admits. ‘Since 2009 hardly anything happened. When we left parts of the electrics were removed and beer pipes were cut out as souvenirs. We never expected to return. We have to rebuild a lot and fire safety has to be improved. These are large investment.’ The association will have to apply for new licenses. Thijs expects that months, if not years will pass before everything is complete.
In the meantime Unitas is in consultation with other associations without their own place. The youth association hopes to come to a construction where also other associations will hire space in the building. ‘The foundation Wageningse bandjes has never left. But also the music collective Nachtdier and the Christian student association NSW Navigators have shown interest. Maybe we can work it out together.’