Humber’s side entrance at the Learning Resource Commons is one of the quickest ways for students to get into the main building from the parking lots and the bus loop.
But since mid-November, the LRC door has been blocked off with caution tape and a sign saying it remains closed, leaving many students frustrated and forced to take longer routes, often in harsh winter weather.
Daniel Alonzo, the associate director for facilities management at Humber, said the door was closed because of the amount of cold air entering the building, which affects the whole lobby area.
Alonzo said students can expect the LRC side door to open during the week of March 23 if the weather is consistently above 0 C.
"The door is kept closed to keep the temperature in the LRC lobby reasonable," he said. "That temperature affects the registration, career centre, in Starbucks, and also just the general comfort of the lobby."
The LRC door was designed for extensive foot traffic, but since around 1,200 to 1,500 buses pass by the bus loop every day, carrying mostly students, the doors would remain open for long periods of time, causing cold air to stay in the lobby.
For months, students who relied on the entrance had to walk around the building to enter through the main doors or find other ways of entry instead. The detours may only take a few extra minutes, but during the colder months when the weather is in the negatives, those minutes can feel much longer.
Christian Bahari, a biomedical engineering student, says the closure has made getting to class more difficult, especially during the winter.
"I kind of just feel terrible because of how the winter went," Bahari said. "There was one time I didn't have my coat on, and it was freezing cold, so I had to go all around to the main entrance."
Bahari said since he parks in the parking garage, his walk to the main building would be shorter and easier.
As March arrives and spring draws closer, students continue adjusting their walking routes while waiting for the entrance to reopen, hoping warmer weather will finally allow it to be used again.
