New $75-85 Million STEM Residential Complex Out To Bid

[UCONNJACK]

The first phase of UConn's Next Generation development has gone out for bid. A 465 room residential complex priced at $75-85 million to be built on X Lot and Farmer Brown Lot. Construction to begin in May 2014. The construction of a new student recreation center is also scheduled to begin construction this year.

 

[Drew]

Isn't the new rec center supposed to be on x lot?

 

[UCONNJACK]

Isn't the new rec center supposed to be on x lot?

I believe X Lot and Farmer Brown have been merged into a single lot for mixed use development.

 

[Doggie Style]

I guess I'm just wondering why we are moving forward with major construction projects prior to getting our campus plans from the Master College Architectural Firm we just hired? Are we not supposedly trying to fix the eye sore that is Storrs Campus? The move sounds about right for Connecticut though......

 

[Fairfield_1st]

I guess I'm just wondering why we are moving forward with major construction projects prior to getting our campus plans from the Master College Architectural Firm we just hired?

Great question.

 

[SubbaBub]

It was either part of an older plan or will be the starting point of the new plan. $$ for these types of projects has a shelf life, it doesn't benefit the University to wait on what is ultimately a sketch plan for a number of reasons.

 

[huskypantz]

You have a

I guess I'm just wondering why we are moving forward with major construction projects prior to getting our campus plans from the Master College Architectural Firm we just hired? Are we not supposedly trying to fix the eye sore that is Storrs Campus? The move sounds about right for Connecticut though.

We had a prior master development plan, was this part of it? I don't think they're playing pin the tail on the donkey with the campus map either. They've done a good job upgrading campus over the past 20 years. No reason to believe they've reverted back to the 80's overnight.

 

[Fishy]

Crazy enough, there were previous plans - these two projects are not part of the upcoming master plan revision/creation.

The residential building was destined for X-lot and the new student rec center was part of the 2006 updated master plan.

 

[Adios]

RIP X Lot.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Maybe there is enough space to build both a rec center and additional dorms? I remember that the drawing of the rec center included several new building in additional to the rec center, such as a new campus health clinic. Maybe those buildings are the new dorms?
More importantly will this make it harder for students to get to Ted’s & Huskies?
Either way, this new part of campus should be made out of aluminum and call the Natural Light campus in honor of the hundreds of thousands empty beer cans left behind.

 

[UCONNJACK]

Maybe there is enough space to build both a rec center and additional dorms? I remember that the drawing of the rec center included several new building in additional to the rec center, such as a new campus health clinic. Maybe those buildings are the new dorms?
More importantly will this make it harder for students to get to Ted’s & Huskies?
Either way, this new part of campus should be made out of aluminum and call the Natural Light campus in honor of the hundreds of thousands empty beer cans left behind.[/quote
Farmer Brown lot contains nearly 27 acres and Lot X several acres. There's more than enough land available for a mixed use development of dorms, classrooms, recreational facilities and a new infirmary. The preliminary plans were posted on the BY late last year.

 

[BHusky]

Maybe there is enough space to build both a rec center and additional dorms? I remember that the drawing of the rec center included several new building in additional to the rec center, such as a new campus health clinic. Maybe those buildings are the new dorms?
More importantly will this make it harder for students to get to Ted’s & Huskies?
Either way, this new part of campus should be made out of aluminum and call the Natural Light campus in honor of the hundreds of thousands empty beer cans left behind.

I like the idea. They could name the buildings things like G. Shepard in honor of all the German Shepard police dogs released on the crowds in X Lot during Spring Weekend (the old school, fun, Spring Weekends). Or name the buildings after the most common type of car flipped during those parties.

 

[Fishy]

Maybe there is enough space to build both a rec center and additional dorms? I remember that the drawing of the rec center included several new building in additional to the rec center, such as a new campus health clinic. Maybe those buildings are the new dorms?
More importantly will this make it harder for students to get to Ted’s & Huskies?
Either way, this new part of campus should be made out of aluminum and call the Natural Light campus in honor of the hundreds of thousands empty beer cans left behind.

I think they're going to have a statue of a drunk guy sleeping on the hood of a parked car.

If I remember correctly, the rec center will be built way in the back with the res hall more prominent in X-lot.

If you go back to the 2006 master plan, the language for the rec center said something to the effect that it should be built into a sloping hill or something like that. So, I think it's back in the corner of that section of land.

 

[Drew]

For what its worth I heard they were considering building a parking garage under the rec center, although I don't know how likely this is to happen but it would be great to add another garage on campus especially with them taking up a parking lot to build the rec center/dorms

 

[WestHartHusk]

For what its worth I heard they were considering building a parking garage under the rec center, although I don't know how likely this is to happen but it would be great to add another garage on campus especially with them taking up a parking lot to build the rec center/dorms

The powerpoint that someone presented showed an option for a "field over parking garage" which is a nice use of space. I was up at BU recently, they have something similar.

 

[WestHartHusk]

I think they're going to have a statue of a drunk guy sleeping on the hood of a parked car.

If I remember correctly, the rec center will be built way in the back with the res hall more prominent in X-lot.

If you go back to the 2006 master plan, the language for the rec center said something to the effect that it should be built into a sloping hill or something like that. So, I think it's back in the corner of that section of land.

I think that statute should be the next fund-raiser. We can't let people think that the Boneyard has gone soft; every other fund-raiser should be something ridiculous.

 

[CL82]

Concept plans for statue:

 

[huskymedic]

The powerpoint that someone presented showed an option for a "field over parking garage" which is a nice use of space. I was up at BU recently, they have something similar.

http://recreation.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/2013.08.06_Rec-Ctr-DRAFT-9.pdf w/ site map.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

http://recreation.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/2013.08.06_Rec-Ctr-DRAFT-9.pdf w/ site map.

That aerial map of UConn on slide 17 really drives home how far out in the wood/field UConn's campus is. So wonder I drank so much on the weekends and looked forward to a road trip to Boston, Itaca, and Burlington a few times a semester, especially after basketball season ended.