Mechanical engineering students at the University of B.C. are petitioning to stop the university from demolishing a unique vessel-testing facility to replace it with condominiums. The fight brewing over the fate of the 30-year-old tow-tanks is the latest controversy in UBC's aggressive plan to make millions for its endowment fund by developing its prime Point Grey real estate. UBC has come under fire before for developing its campus, including the introduction of shops to its academic district and the construction of student residences that critics said overlooked nudists at Wreck Beach. UBC's first development venture, Hampton Place, netted $116m for UBC's endowment fund, which generates interest used for scholarships and academics.