I parked at the deck today and wandered around the fence - the inside is nearly totally gutted. Not a construction guy but the super structure must be close to getting demolished.
Major changes in the works for college Avenue, several buildings to be demolished and a state of the art large student center to be built
- Thread starter Tango Two
- Start date
brand new quad, student center, dining hall and academic buildings on the site of Brower and records hall … can’t wait for this project to get moving
This center lawn with a walkway over the river would be absolutely incredible. I imagine all the buildings on the outside will be renovated or new buildings completely. We seem to be many years off from this still though. Anyone know the status and/or proposed timeline ?
All the white buildings in that rendering (all four of the ones facing the new quad) would be newly proposed, any gray shaded ones are existing buildings.
I think the overall plan may have changed. There was talk of not demolishing the current student center, so whether they build a new one or not is up in the air. I would take that plan with a grain of salt... look at the livi or douglass section for how it has evolved as needs shifted.
Anyone know which building will be built first and when construction will start? Guessing dining hall and student center so they can then tear down the existing ones?
Hmmm, interesting. We need a new student center and lounge, dining hall, academic building and dorm in that quad area. Those are the 4 buildings I'd build. Any idea what will get built and when? What was done and changed at Livingston and Douglas as I don't recall? Thanks
Original 2030 plan has new dorms built where the river dorm is now.
I have to believe the bridge is just artistic license and for show. It's a high cost frill that gets cut from the budget well before value engineering is my guess. It wouldn't get people to a particularly useful spot on the north side of the river.
As far as what replaces Hardenbergh, I hope they don't overdo the transit hub but still design a functional facility in that spot for the ground level while developing a new student union (as you noted) above it. Would be a strong way to anchor that end of the proposed quad.
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Well, for example, the spot with the APC has included a new inn and conference center, or a research and development park.
Douglass had a planned new theater before they built NBPAC.
Indeed, master plans are about creating a vision for what could be realized but not what will necessarily happen once budgets are established, site constraints are identified, and other realities are factored in. Always have to be taken with a grain of salt.
I get that, but a hotel, conference center, and theater weren't really necessary, whereas the quad project has several buildings that are. Forget the bridge and transit hub, which should be scrapped, I'm focused on the 4 new buildings that we need in that quad--a new student center, dining hall, academic building, and dorm. I'm sure the proposed cultural center could be incorporated into the student center. Anyone know what will be built and when?
I just brought those up as examples of how the plan has changed over time; I do think a Hotel\Conference Center on campus would be huge for us; the university has no real space for large formal events on campus which is a consistent weakness, and the current inn and conference center on douglass is painfully small\out of date. Rutgers should absolutely have something like Ohio State's Blackwell on campus, especially as we try to compete for more conferences and concerts to take place at the RAC.
RE: college ave, as I mentioned, the new student center is up in the air because there was a movement in admin to renovate the current student center instead. Not sure where that ended up. The bridge was always a moonshot, and not sure about the transit hub, since college ave's transit is going to be a nightmare for the foreseeable future. Cultural center would be combining four separate cultural centers, some of which desperately need the upgrade, and would be opening up other spaces on campus for re-use. My guess would be that that would be the smallest of the buildings.
Dining hall will probably come first, since once it's up you can get rid of Brower. River Dorm may not even be removed, but if it is, it may not be replaced with a new large dorm in that area for two reasons; one is that you simply won't be able to replicate that amount of housing on the new quad, and other is that the plan calls for significant increases\renovations to housing on Cook and Douglass, areas with more available space and older housing. Comparably, Livingston will hopefully be getting more academic buildings, right now it is very housing heavy, which leads to the LX being a very over-utilized bus route.
As for when; it's unknown. Knocking down Records Hall was a big step, and I know they're in the process of preparing to look for formal plans for the upcoming buildings.
Good point on the hotel and conference center. There's space on Livingston for that. Maybe a Devco project? @Cofifa?
Your College Ave info is pretty disappointing, if the entire quad falls apart. A new dining hall and student center should anchor that and are badly needed. The cultural center could be in 1 or both of those buildings, if needed over there. I don't see how they can knock down Hardenberg, with the enrollment increases and high demand to live on College Ave, without building another dorm tower there and adding a dorm to this quad.
Has Ford Hall been renovated or will it be asI found these designs?
Rutgers University, Ford Hall - Kimmel Bogrette Architecture + Site
Kimmel Bogrette worked with Rutgers for the renovation of the Ford Hall Dormitory to develop a modern facility and flagship for student services functions related to the School of Arts & Sciences. The original four-story building was constructed in 1913 and a one-story addition was added at rear...
kimmel-bogrette.com
Now what's going to replace it and when will construction start?
They still have the dumb smokestack up though. Hope that's next.
that was my very first reaction as well ! Such an eye sore.
Ford Hall, to this point, is still in development hell. I've heard no progress.Good point on the hotel and conference center. There's space on Livingston for that. Maybe a Devco project? @Cofifa?
Your College Ave info is pretty disappointing, if the entire quad falls apart. A new dining hall and student center should anchor that and are badly needed. The cultural center could be in 1 or both of those buildings, if needed over there. I don't see how they can knock down Hardenberg, with the enrollment increases and high demand to live on College Ave, without building another dorm tower there and adding a dorm to this quad.
Has Ford Hall been renovated or will it be asI found these designs?
Rutgers University, Ford Hall - Kimmel Bogrette Architecture + Site
Kimmel Bogrette worked with Rutgers for the renovation of the Ford Hall Dormitory to develop a modern facility and flagship for student services functions related to the School of Arts & Sciences. The original four-story building was constructed in 1913 and a one-story addition was added at rear...
I wouldn't get my hopes up that much of this will happen soon. It would probably necessitate that the voters pass another bond issue for higher education construction, and I can't see that happening in today's economic climate. But I hope I'm proven wrong.
The original master plan had a conference center near the RAC instead of the APC. Are they going to publish an updated plan?
I think that there are two priority low-cost items that should be on the list:
Renovate the old cupola on Murray Hall. Even a paint job would help!
Strip and repaint the performing arts bridge on Douglass. It’s in horrible shape, and I can’t believe that it’s in it’s current condition. I would post photos but it actually broke my heart to see it. I am going to contact the facilities department about it - it’s that bad.
Renovate the old cupola on Murray Hall. Even a paint job would help!
Strip and repaint the performing arts bridge on Douglass. It’s in horrible shape, and I can’t believe that it’s in it’s current condition. I would post photos but it actually broke my heart to see it. I am going to contact the facilities department about it - it’s that bad.
Probably in design. Records hall is gone, a lot was put on hold by Covid+new admin.
Do you think we'll see any of those design plans anytime soon or hear a timeline for starting construction? Thanks
I heard that Brower potentially is closing now so wouldn't shock me if the College Ave Dining Hall has been greenlit.
That could well be true. A dining hall brings in revenue, so maybe it can be financed (the way dorms are) with revenue bonds rather than with general obligation bonds.
To follow up on this, one of the head Dining Services guys chimes in on the RU parents facebook group. Currently, the Atrium is in the student center basement and is basically a grab and go style where you get what you get, not a buffet style as the other dining halls. He was asked when the Brower replacement would be up and running. He said Brower was not being replaced? That contradicts this master plan. The location shown for a new dining hall is the area already cleared of Records Hall. Will Brower and Stonier be torn down? Will there be a new dining hall?
Personally, that just seems like part of college. Going to the dining hall with friends and sharing that time and meals together, seeing others etc, is what the "college experience" is all about. With all the asynchronous classes, students should be together more, not less.
Personally, that just seems like part of college. Going to the dining hall with friends and sharing that time and meals together, seeing others etc, is what the "college experience" is all about. With all the asynchronous classes, students should be together more, not less.
While many of us from earlier generations of college students have fond memories and nostalgia of these types of experiences, over time things change. College of the future may never quite mimic college of the past. I get the feeling more and more of the younger generation view it as more transactional and less emotional, for whatever reason. Some are so used to the asynchronous format that they likely prefer it, despite the limited interaction with their peers.
As a recent graduate, with several friends who graduated even more recently, I can guarantee you that couldn't be farther from the truth.
That's because a large portion of this generation of college students have next to no social skills and will seriously be behind the 8-ball once they get into the working world where you need said social skills to be able to move upward in your career.
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