UConn To Demolish 9 Buildings (Some Historic) For Campus Green Space | The Boneyard

UConn To Demolish 9 Buildings (Some Historic) For Campus Green Space

Drew

Its a post, about nothing!
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Messages
7,715
Reaction Score
27,169
UConn To Demolish Nine Buildings For Campus Green Space


"Plans to demolish nine buildings on UConn's South campus listed on the National Register of Historic Places have sparked concern among preservation advocates.

The nine largely abandoned houses are located on Gilbert Road in Storrs, known to many as "Faculty Row." A listing on the National Register of Historic Places does not prohibit demolition, but could make the houses eligible for protection.

"If it's on the National Register, it's there for a reason," said Margaret McCutcheon Faber, a member of Connecticut's Historic Preservation Council. "They are actually good buildings. They are not in serious disrepair. It's a lovely little place, like a respite."

Faber started an online petition against the demolition, which garnered more than 250 signatures."


Honestly this makes sense, the houses while historic are kind of an eyesore. With the new rec center coming in over there and more traffic it makes sense to beautify the area a little
 

CL82

2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Champions
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
56,516
Reaction Score
206,313
"The houses are listed under the National Register's "inventory of contributing resources" to a larger historic district, which includes much of UConn's central campus." There is nothing particularly noteworthy about them historically or architectually. The only reason that they are noteworthy is that they are located on campus. If they were a block off campus, no one would think twice about them.

One of the Storrs campus faults is that really wasn't developed as a part of an overall plan. Thus there wasn't a good "flow" or "sense of place" on the campus. The campus master plan seeks to fix that. IIRC, the master plan has north/south and east/west greenways that will be landscaped as lightly treed rolling hills and serve as nature storm water filter. It's a good plan, IMO.
 
Last edited:

SubbaBub

Your stupidity is ruining my country.
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
32,094
Reaction Score
24,544
Brilliant. The core campus is about as attractive as a two tailed dog.

I didn't think they'd ever have the guts to reinvent the core campus like that.

Now, all they need to do is move the garage parking to the outskirts and ban cars from N. Eagleville and Hillside.
 

CL82

2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Champions
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
56,516
Reaction Score
206,313
Brilliant. The core campus is about as attractive as a two tailed dog.

I didn't think they'd ever have the guts to reinvent the core campus like that.

Now, all they need to do is move the garage parking to the outskirts and ban cars from N. Eagleville and Hillside.
The master plan includes routing cars around campus.
 

Drew

Its a post, about nothing!
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Messages
7,715
Reaction Score
27,169
The master plan includes routing cars around campus.

Master plan eventually shuts off the main road through campus to Gampel right? They want to direct traffic around campus and allow for pedestrian foot traffic through campus?
 

CL82

2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Champions
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
56,516
Reaction Score
206,313
Master plan eventually shuts off the main road through campus to Gampel right? They want to direct traffic around campus and allow for pedestrian foot traffic through campus?
I believe so. I haven't looked at it in a while.

So I just took a look and the master plan contemplated relocating Faculty Row.

Faculty Row Houses Currently nine houses remain along Whitney and Gilbert Roads, of the original nearly two dozen Faculty Row houses that once stood here and along Mansfield Road overlooking the southern end of Mirror Lake. Constructed by the Agricultural School from the 1890s to the 1930s, these houses served as residences for early University faculty. Many of the houses were removed in the 1950s, and some of the remaining houses were relocated to their current locations. Currently, some of these houses are vacant while others are used as University offices such as the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Academic Services, the Design Center, the Heart Program, and the Institute of Public and Urban Affairs. The houses are currently sited within the proposed South Campus Commons and surrounding science, academic, and residential buildings. To accommodate this vision, the University should consider removing or relocating some or all of the houses. Since they carry historical significance in their storyline and siting, finding an appropriate context for relocation will be vital to preserving any sense of historic significance. Link - page 24

Transportation plan - look at page 29

Link to all Master Plan docts
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
19,228
Reaction Score
14,061
Why not include the buildings in green space? If they have historic value like that, a park can be made out of them.
 
Joined
Sep 6, 2013
Messages
47
Reaction Score
62
Smart move by the admins, though. Keep them empty for +/- 10 years with a lack of maintenance, and then play the "they're too decrepit; knock 'em down" card.

I'm sure they've been changed quite a bit from their original appearance, anyway. I recall Delta Zeta being closest to Arjona. Drew is right; something of some merit should go in its place, even if it is only green space.
 

HuskyV

Connecticut UConn Husky
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
523
Reaction Score
1,056
Gilbert Road runs from Mirror Lake to McMahon - divides Alumni and West.

Traffic would be moved to Whitney which would run by the new student fitness center (Grad Dorms from the '80's) and Dodd Center a block further north down to Mirror Lake.
 

Waquoit

Mr. Positive
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
32,188
Reaction Score
82,251
What about Yggdrasil? How can they destroy Yggdrasil?
 

pepband99

Resident TV nerd
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
3,714
Reaction Score
9,487
Damn THC. Those frat houses are definitely decrepit.

A little unfair, given Sig Ep essentially destroyed their house when it was kicked out, and I'm guessing that's the one that's pictured.

Bunch of losers, those sig ep twerps. :)
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
19,228
Reaction Score
14,061
I actually bothered to try to get into Sig Ep. What a bunch of snobby phukks. No surprise if their house was destroyed as they were kicked out.
 

Drew

Its a post, about nothing!
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Messages
7,715
Reaction Score
27,169
I actually bothered to try to get into Sig Ep. What a bunch of snobby phukks. No surprise if their house was destroyed as they were kicked out.

They're back on campus as of 2 years ago I believe.
 
Joined
Aug 29, 2015
Messages
20,574
Reaction Score
48,957
They're back on campus as of 2 years ago I believe.

When I was in school (graduated '14) the rumor was that they never actually "left" and they did secret rushes and had a house off campus. I knew a lot of people who heard this rumor but never met a single person who claimed to actually be involved so I always thought of it as more of an urban legend. Weren't they the frat that got kicked out because they were on probation for having coke in their house and then they got caught selling bracelets to underage persons at Teds and Huskies?
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2011
Messages
7,188
Reaction Score
8,765
I have found memories of the old Frat row as I lived in Alumni; but, the building are crap, look worse, and that is a lot of valuable space in the middle of the campus. Surprised that they will only use it in the future as green space.
 
Joined
Sep 6, 2013
Messages
47
Reaction Score
62
I miss the (old) frat row that was above Towers. Zeta Psi was the first one on the left; I remember they were booted off campus at the start of my sophomore year in '95 because of a huge party they had during spring weekend.

Triangle was up there too. In the UCMB, we had one of our weekly parties during the football season in that house (not sure why; I'm assuming we had a member who was in it). But some of us were downstairs in the basement and it felt like the floors were bending because there were so many people above us. Reminded me of the Delta House.
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2011
Messages
3,923
Reaction Score
7,775
Knock em down, those old houses have no value as UCONN moves forward. If you let the hand wringers run the world we are doomed. The land they are on and the money needed to bring them up to code and become usable are best put to other uses.
 

Online statistics

Members online
563
Guests online
3,982
Total visitors
4,545

Forum statistics

Threads
155,813
Messages
4,032,299
Members
9,865
Latest member
Sad Tiger


Top Bottom