Proposed E.O. Smith High School Sale Could Mean Expansion of South Campus

[Drew]

http://dailycampus.com/stories/2016...ool-sale-could-mean-expansion-of-south-campus

"A referendum to sell E.O. Smith High School and the property it resides on to the University of Connecticut could be on November’s ballot, one Mansfield town official said Monday night.

The proposal, which is still in the early stages and has not been formally drafted, would result in a dramatic expansion of UConn’s South Campus.

Town Manager Matt Hart said at a town council meeting Monday night that he “is urging” town officials to prepare for the possible ramifications if the referendum is drafted, placed on the ballot and approved by residents"

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Thanks. This would be a major development for all parties. I would that moving EO Smith to another location would not only provide more land to UConn to develop (can one say hockey arena); but, it could reduce the level of resistance from local residents as it take their kids away from campus.

Also, took a look at the local Depot Campus map, if EO Smith was to move there, I would give them the western portion of the property west of Waters Rd as it looks to be a flat piece of land and UConn only looks to be using 1 building on that lot so far. Lets UConn continue to use the larger portion to the east.

Of course, this won't be easy. Afterall, they are already writing a 'strong' letter condemning the delay due to budget issues of a new dorm complex on Gilbert Road (old Frat Row), which is square in the middle of campus. Unless Mansfield wants to give the money to UConn to speed up construction...

 

[MASSconn]

UConn buys it

1. Bars at Storrs Center
2. Hockey Arena
3. Dorms
4. Once we join the B1G, Football Stadium???????? I wish

 

[CL82]

If you had the chance to send your kid to a brandy new facility that was off by itself with room for fields and expansion at zero or low cost to you, would you take it? As long as the numbers work, I think this has a decent shot at happening.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

If you had the chance to send your kid to a brandy new facility that was off by itself with room for fields and expansion at zero or low cost to you, would you take it? As long as the numbers work, I think this has a decent shot at happening.

I think the intent is that UConn would exchange once piece of land in the Depot for the land the high school is on. So $0 land acquisitions costs. But, Mansfield & co. would still need to pay for the new high school itself, which maybe a smarter investment considering the projected costs for renovating EO Smith, which is 'landlocked' as you noted.

On a related note, I wonder if Mansfield would 'give' UConn the land that their town hall and community center sit on, which is the corner lot between EO Smith and S. Eagleville Road. That's a high visibility lot and would sense for a 'major' facility. Also, using that land would also allow UConn to better manage traffic flow North/South through campus by building a connector between Bolton Rd. and S. Eagleville Rd. and eliminating the 'short-cut' through the very residential Hillside Circle neighborhood that many use. It would also supplement the proposed parking deck for S lot.

 

[FDNY99]

from the Daily Campus:
http://dailycampus.com/stories/2016...ool-sale-could-mean-expansion-of-south-campus

This would solve some space issues that may come up. Ironic that this comes up after the Town put their foot down about the ice hockey facility about a football length away.

 

[Drew]

Don't forget also UConn bought the prison on Depot Campus and is planning on turning it into offices/study spaces. Not sure how much of that could be used for EO Smith's future campus if any of it but worth putting out there. Campus has potential to absolutely explode from a growth standpoint. We haven't even talked about all the area between the Village and Busby, behind Horsebarn Hill, in front of W Lot, and now where EO Smith is.

Would love to see the first part of it be donated to Storrs Center and be given a matching facade to the current Storrs Center side and have a pedestrian bridge run over 195 between the two. Would really and truly give Storrs the "downtown" feel in the Storrs Center area.

 

[HarryAGampel]

I had heard that they considered building EO Smith at the Depot Campus years ago but couldn't because of the prison. Now that the prison is decommissioned, the Depot Campus would be a perfect placement.

Would love to see the first part of it be donated to Storrs Center and be given a matching facade to the current Storrs Center side and have a pedestrian bridge run over 195 between the two. Would really and truly give Storrs the "downtown" feel in the Storrs Center area.

No need for a pedestrian bridge. Just make 195 pedestrian friendly with many crosswalks and you can really create an even better walkable downtown there.

 

[Drew]

@HarryAGampel Agree that a pedestrian bridge isn't a total necessity, just thought it could add something to the area. I was in Lincoln, NE this past weekend and this bridge leads from the downtown area over a couple roads to the stadium. Really cool and adds a little bit of something to the area while also serving a purpose:

http://americancityandcounty.com/si...s/2014/11/haymarket-pedestrian-bridge-005.jpg

 

[HarryAGampel]

@Drew Yeah the issue is that 195 shouldn't just be viewed as a high speed commuter road (one that would call for a ped bridge) but rather at that section should be worked into the fabric of the neighborhood.

Plus I've seen a lot of pedestrian bridges which are now decrepit and isolate certain sections of a neighborhood. I think they're not used as much anymore these days.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

@Drew Yeah the issue is that 195 shouldn't just be viewed as a high speed commuter road (one that would call for a ped bridge) but rather at that section should be worked into the fabric of the neighborhood.

Plus I've seen a lot of pedestrian bridges which are now decrepit and isolate certain sections of a neighborhood. I think they're not used as much anymore these days.

Just to play Devil's Advocate, Rte 195 can't be re-engineered to be pedestrian centric as it is the only road linking campus to I-84 to the north and Willimantic to the south and thus needs to be able to handle the traffic. In an deal world, some form of a by-pass road would be build around campus to pull non-UConn traffic away from the campus core.

 

[huskypantz]

Don't forget also UConn bought the prison on Depot Campus and is planning on turning it into offices/study spaces. Not sure how much of that could be used for EO Smith's future campus if any of it but worth putting out there. Campus has potential to absolutely explode from a growth standpoint. We haven't even talked about all the area between the Village and Busby, behind Horsebarn Hill, in front of W Lot, and now where EO Smith is.

Would love to see the first part of it be donated to Storrs Center and be given a matching facade to the current Storrs Center side and have a pedestrian bridge run over 195 between the two. Would really and truly give Storrs the "downtown" feel in the Storrs Center area.

Great idea - that would frame the development nicely. This would really put a stamp on Storrs Center. I hope they can make the hockey arena happen in that area as well.

 

[Drew]

UConn Agrees To School District Request To Consider Buying E.O. Smith Site


STORRS — At the request of Regional School District 19 leaders, UConn will consider buying the neighboring E.O. Smith High School property — a move that could substantially expand the campus to the south.

Stephanie Reitz, spokeswoman for the university, said the conversation is in a very preliminary stage, beginning recently when the school district board authorized Superintendent Bruce W. Silva to pose the possibility to the university.

As part of the arrangement, Silva said Wednesday, the district would ask the university to provide it with a site for a new high school, possibly on UConn's Mansfield Depot campus.

"We've just begun the discussion," Silva said. "I don't know where it's going to go.""


http://www.courant.com/education/hc-uconn-smith-high-school-0225-20160224-story.html#nt=oft12aH-1li3

 

[Stainmaster]

As the resident local yokel, I am unfortunately going to have to sit this one out due to a serious COI regarding some of the named actors.

However, I will say this: The Region 19 BoE is pushing hard for this. They want it on the ballot this November. What would then be required is all three feeder towns (Mansfield, Willington, Ashford) approving the plan with a majority in each. And for those of you not familiar with the Willington and Ashford, if you think we Mansfield residents are uneducated NIMBYs, wait until you get a load of those two...

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

No need for a pedestrian bridge. Just make 195 pedestrian friendly with many crosswalks and you can really create an even better walkable downtown there.

Hmmmm, or a pedestrian tunnel potentially weaving a bit better into the surroundings.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

As the resident local yokel, I am unfortunately going to have to sit this one out due to a serious COI regarding some of the named actors.

However, I will say this: The Region 19 BoE is pushing hard for this. They want it on the ballot this November. What would then be required is all three feeder towns (Mansfield, Willington, Ashford) approving the plan with a majority in each. And for those of you not familiar with the Willington and Ashford, if you think we Mansfield residents are uneducated NIMBYs, wait until you get a load of those two...

I can imagine...

I have no inside info; but, just looking at the map, moving the EO Smith to the Depot Campus will push the school further west of Ashford and Willington; but, it will be less South than it is now and will avoid the worst of UConn's traffic (and keep their precious children away from those evil college kids, LOL). So from a transportation standpoint, it should be a wash or a slight improvement.

As for getting the budget for such, good freaking luck. I went to a town meeting in '07 when I lived in NH after the state finally mandated public Kindergarten (last state in the US to do so, Oregon was #48 & mandated it back in the early '80's). In turn, the town I lived in had to build additions to several elementary schools. At the town meeting, these 3 older gentleman (I later learned that the were part of 4 gentleman affectionately called the '4 horsemen of death' at town meetings) stood-up and advised that the town's schools were good enough for their children (in the '70's) and thus were good enough for today's children and proudly announced that the town had not been able to approve any capital improvement plans since the '70's.

 

[Drew]

I'd love to see a real entrance to campus. Not just a small sign but a real nice entrance with either a gate or archway or husky statue or something. The small blue signs just aren't getting it done for me

 

[HarryAGampel]

I'd love to see a real entrance to campus. Not just a small sign but a real nice entrance with either a gate or archway or husky statue or something. The small blue signs just aren't getting it done for me

Check out the Master Plan. They have spots designated as gateways at the main entrances to campus. I don't remember what their exact plan is for them but they understand the importance of place-making for these gateways and the entire campus.

 

[CL82]

As the resident local yokel, I am unfortunately going to have to sit this one out due to a serious COI regarding some of the named actors.

However, I will say this: The Region 19 BoE is pushing hard for this. They want it on the ballot this November. What would then be required is all three feeder towns (Mansfield, Willington, Ashford) approving the plan with a majority in each. And for those of you not familiar with the Willington and Ashford, if you think we Mansfield residents are uneducated NIMBYs, wait until you get a load of those two...

Don't know about the demographics, but this seems "doable" to me. In the end it will depend on tax impact vs. doing nothing and the percentage of families with kids in the system who typically vote with the BoE.

 

[HuskyHawk]

This seems like a win-win that needs to happen. My town went through the build or renovate decision a few years ago, and ultimately building made more sense financially with better results. The new HS is a freaking palace.

I never thought that any parent really wanted their HS kids at E.O. Smith so close to UConn. The potential for "issues" is very very high (especially fathers of daughters).

 

[CL82]

This seems like a win-win that needs to happen. My town went through the build or renovate decision a few years ago, and ultimately building made more sense financially with better results. The new HS is a freaking palace.

I never thought that any parent really wanted their HS kids at E.O. Smith so close to UConn. The potential for "issues" is very very high (especially fathers of daughters).

Did anyone troll the high school? I never heard of that happening... well almost never.

 

[Drew]

As the resident local yokel, I am unfortunately going to have to sit this one out due to a serious COI regarding some of the named actors.

However, I will say this: The Region 19 BoE is pushing hard for this. They want it on the ballot this November. What would then be required is all three feeder towns (Mansfield, Willington, Ashford) approving the plan with a majority in each. And for those of you not familiar with the Willington and Ashford, if you think we Mansfield residents are uneducated NIMBYs, wait until you get a load of those two...

Any chance of this happening?

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Any chance of this happening?

A quick Google, an it looks like the status quo folks are out in full force.

E.O. Smith High School parents fight to keep school in location next to UConn campus

E.O. Smith High School Project

 

[Stainmaster]

Any chance of this happening?

BoE withdrew the proposal a couple of months ago.

 

[CL82]

Parents say they like the current location because it's sandwiched between the UConn campus and downtown Storrs Center, providing educational and commercial advantages for students.