by Melissa A. Collett
Staff Writer
A committee is constructing a new master plan that will change and improve the physical aspects of ULV.
The Master Plan Committee ultimately is trying to expand the campus while “utilizing the space we already have,” said Brian Worley, director of facilities management, who is also on the committee.
The master plan is updated every seven or eight years according to President Stephen Morgan. The last time it was updated was 1987. This year the planning committee hired a consultant from Claremont Environmental Design Group. For $25,000 the committee gives the consultant collected data concerning the University’s physical property and programmatic data from various other departments at ULV. The consultant helps the committee figure the needs of ULV.
The committee takes into perspective every aspect of ULV and the surrounding environment. Each department is considered and researched as well as the possibilities of increased enrollment, parking problems and the availability of buying more property and/or buildings in the surrounding area.
There are many possibilities of how the land can be utilized depending on the needs of the University. Everything becomes a “what if” question said Worley. “[There are] different thoughts about what we can do.”
Increases in undergraduate admissions have already effected the committee. If increased enrollment continues in future years, the next step would be to build classrooms and faculty offices in order to accommodate the students.
There are currently two sites on campus that will eventually be constructed into buildings—the space between Stu-Han and the Chapel, and the piece of land north of the Wilson Library construction.
Other ideas for locations of future construction sites are in the Stu-Han parking lot and also the old gym. In the future, the Art and Communications Departments may be transferred to their own buildings.
“The city approved to let us (ULV) buy any property we can from Second Street to Arrow Highway between D and E Streets,” Worley said.
The committee has also discussed building a three-story parking structure in either the Mainiero Building parking lot or in place of the Nancy Blickenstaff Tennis Pavilion. In case of the later, the tennis courts would be placed on the top level of the parking structure. The committee is “looking at ways to alleviate the parking issues,” said Worley though he feels that parking is not a problem. “It is better to build a structure (such as classrooms) than a parking lot” he said.
