{"id":97331,"date":"2014-10-16T12:00:04","date_gmt":"2014-10-16T16:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=97331"},"modified":"2016-06-01T09:55:32","modified_gmt":"2016-06-01T13:55:32","slug":"master-plan-presents-20-year-vision-for-storrs-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2014\/10\/master-plan-presents-20-year-vision-for-storrs-campus\/","title":{"rendered":"Master Plan Presents 20-Year Vision for Storrs Campus"},"content":{"rendered":"

University officials and the architectural, design, and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill<\/a> (SOM) have almost completed the draft Master Plan 2014, a comprehensive planning document that will help shape the physical development of UConn\u2019s flagship campus for the next 20 years.<\/p>\n

The plan is intended to help guide UConn\u2019s capital investments and ensure that the construction and placement of buildings, utilities, transportation, and other infrastructure components support the University\u2019s mission and academic plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe plan will be an essential roadmap, as our facilities and infrastructure grow and evolve over decades,\u201d President Susan Herbst says. \u201cWe must ensure that the campus is built in a truly strategic way, with regard to our academic needs, housing, sustainability, way-finding, and architectural excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n

For details of the plan, see this recent presentation to the University Senate<\/a>. The draft plan is expected to be posted online by the end of October.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A map of the Storrs campus showing the long-term strategy, 2025-2035, subject to funding. Master Plan 2014 is a comprehensive planning document that will help shape the physical development of UConn\u2019s flagship campus for the next 20 years. (UConn Campus Master Plan, October 2014)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Master Plan 2014 is expected to be adopted by the Board of Trustees in the late spring, after an environmental analysis is complete.<\/p>\n

In the interim, the planners are seeking input from the university community. Details of the draft plan will be presented at town hall meetings held in the Konover Auditorium at the Dodd Center in Storrs from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, and Monday, Nov. 17.<\/p>\n

The plan includes the implementation of more than $1.5 billion in capital projects under Next Generation Connecticut, as well as high-level plans for other new construction, renovations, and infrastructure changes and improvements. Existing plans for the UConn Tech Park, Athletics, Residential Life, and landscaping are all incorporated.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe master plan conveys a long range, 20-year vision for the development of the campus,\u201d says UConn director of planning Beverly Wood. \u201cPeople will see things they recognize from the Next Gen program, and then they\u2019ll see things that are a little more aspirational or visionary that might occur beyond the Next Gen program, if funding becomes available.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A map of the Storrs campus showing the near-term strategy, 2015-2020. Next Gen buildings are shown in brown, other new buildings in red. (UConn Campus Master Plan, October 2014)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Next Gen and other major projects are expected to add 3.5 million gross square feet of space to UConn\u2019s campus, which currently comprises 10 million gross square feet. Since 1989, usable space on campus has nearly doubled, with 4.2 million gross square feet being added through the UConn 2000 and 21st Century UConn initiatives.<\/p>\n

Master Plan 2014 aims to support the goals outlined in UConn\u2019s Academic Vision<\/a>, which include excellence in research and scholarship, undergraduate education, graduate education, teaching effectiveness, and public engagement.<\/p>\n

Guiding principles of the master plan, derived from those goals, include putting vitality and creativity on display; enhancing the campus as an intellectual hub; creating a sustainable foundation that anticipates change and growth; and utilizing the campus to recruit and retain outstanding faculty and students.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just a detached, physical plan; it is integrated with the academic mission,\u201d Wood says. \u201cIt\u2019s geared towards improving the student life experience, so that as we grow enrollment, we have not only the facilities, but also the support services for students. And it\u2019s certainly geared towards the aesthetic, to raise the quality of the campus to be competitive with our peer institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

That will be accomplished, in part, by an emphasis on science facilities, especially under NextGen. One of three districts identified in the plan as getting the bulk of new construction is the \u201cScience District,\u201d which will expand upon the current science area of campus on North Eagleville Road, according to Wood.<\/p>\n

The proposed near-term plans include the new Engineering and Science Building near the Chemistry Building, a science building on the former X Lot, and a science building near the South Campus residence halls on Whitney Road. The \u201cSouth Campus District\u201d is another area that will see a lot of new construction.<\/p>\n

Construction will begin soon on a new learning community for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students, which is expected to open on Alumni Drive in 2016.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A rendering of the planned new STEM residence hall and learning community on Alumni Drive, which is expected to open in 2016. (Newman Architects)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Such changes will \u201creflect the fact that we\u2019re a highly ranked, Research I university; that we look the part, feel the part,\u201d Wood says. New science facilities will accommodate our current research needs and show prospective faculty \u201cthat we can really support their research.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although there are several different types of projects in the new master plan, an emphasis on science facilities will help balance previous projects that were geared toward the undergraduate experience, Wood says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe last push was to become the \u2018university of choice\u2019 for undergraduate recruitment and retention,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019ve done a great job with that, and the classroom buildings and the residence halls and the Student Union expansion \u2013 things that were done with UConn 2000 \u2013 were aimed at this goal of excellence in undergraduate education.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile we want to maintain all of that, we have this additional focus now on doing the same thing with our research and graduate education.\u201d<\/p>\n

But there is much more to the 20-year plan, including an emphasis on student life.<\/p>\n

Other new residence halls are in the works, including one for Honors Program students, and plans also include a new hockey rink, soccer and baseball facilities, and a Horsebarn Hill fitness trail.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A map of the Storrs campus showing the mid-term strategy, 2020-2025. Proposed projects in the mid-term include an expansion of the Student Union, new residence halls, and a possible new concourse level in Gampel Pavilion. (UConn Campus Master Plan, October 2014)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The third area where development will be heavy is the \u201cHillside Road District,\u201d from Gilbert Road to Jorgensen, which Wood says could become \u201ca new \u2018Main Street.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFairfield Way has a Main Street-effect because of the buildings on either side,\u201d she says. \u201cBut the Main Street along Hillside will be a student gathering space, a downtown atmosphere on campus for the students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Proposed projects there include a new student recreation center, and a new student health center. In the future there could be improvements to, and an expansion of, the Student Union, new residence halls in the area of West Campus and Connecticut commons, and a possible new Gampel Pavilion concourse level.<\/p>\n

Other proposals, such as pedestrian \u201cwoodland corridors\u201d traversing campus in an east-west direction, will enhance the overall \u201cfeel\u201d of campus, and also have a role in sustainable design for storm water management.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things that came up early in our planning process was UConn pride,\u201d Wood says. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to create a physical place that people have a strong attachment to, both while they\u2019re here and after they leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though there will be inconveniences associated with hundreds of construction projects in the coming years, Wood says she hopes people understand that the intensive development is positive.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always a good sign when campuses have lots of construction,\u201d she says, \u201cbecause it shows vitality and confidence in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A comprehensive plan that will help shape the physical development of the Storrs campus for the next 20 years will soon be available for public review.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":97372,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1727,2234,2233],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[117],"class_list":["post-97331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-construction","category-university-life","category-university-news"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-14 12:52:15","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97331"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100640,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97331\/revisions\/100640"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/97372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97331"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=97331"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=97331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}