<p>[$66M</a>, 984-bed UA dorm planned | TuscaloosaNews.com](<a href=“http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20100617/NEWS/100619696/1007?Title=-66M-984-bed-UA-dorm-planned-]$66M”>http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20100617/NEWS/100619696/1007?Title=-66M-984-bed-UA-dorm-planned-)</p>
<p>This dorm would add beds and replace beds that will go away with the razing of several old dorms south of the North Lake, and also prevent a shortage of beds IF Rose Towers is razed. This article says that UA will most likely raze Rose in the next five years. I think this is great news. I thought the idea of spending $30 M on the renovation of Rose was a big mistake. Seems that with the economic downturn, it is a buyer’s market in construction, and UA is taking full advantage of it.</p>
<p>Glad to hear about the new res hall. 
Bama may need to add another - or at least find an apt complex like The Bluff to help with overflow.</p>
<p>*
However, with continued enrollment growth, the need to replace aging dorms and a buyers’ market for construction, UA adminstrators today will ask trustees for approval of a</p>
<p>$66 million, 984-bed, seven-story residence hall.</p>
<p>“We are always going to be dynamic and responsive to the needs of the university and the student population,” said David Jones, director of housing and residential communities.</p>
<p>Campus leaders want a dorm on the bluff overlooking the Black Warrior River between Rose Towers and Old Hackberry Lane. The dorm would be called the North Bluff Residential Community.</p>
<p>A new dorm opened each fall from 2004 to 2009, bringing about 3,100 beds to help meet demand under Witt’s aggressive growth plan.</p>
<p>administrators are also contemplating building a new recreation center and dining hall.*</p>
<p>Another rec center by honors is such a good idea!!! However, they do need to add a pool.</p>
<p>I don’t see them razing Rose unless another res hall (in addition to this proposed one) is also built - otherwise, not a net gain since a few smaller halls will be demolished as well.</p>
<p>I think the article did mention the possibility of another dorm being built in addition to this proposed one. One more thing that this article mentions is the planned razing of all of the small dorms behind the President’s Mansion, Little, and Moore Halls. It said that new sorority buildings were to be built there. Do these Greek houses hold as many people per square footage as a dorm?</p>
<p>^^^
Some have described this to me (don’t know if it’s true for some/most houses at Bama).</p>
<p>The girls sleep in a “dormitory style room” - like something from the movies - a big room with lots of beds lined up. So, if that’s the case, then they can fit more kids per square footage, I would think. From what I understand, the girls only go in that room to sleep. They study elsewhere.</p>
<p>It makes sense to raze the little halls that take a good-sized footprint of space without being efficient. </p>
<p>I hope they do more like Ridgecrest South with parking underneath to really maximize space issues.</p>
<p>(I bet Auburn is green with envy. They’re way behind on housing (especially nicer housing) and they don’t have the cash that Bama has.)</p>
<p>It needs a better name.</p>
<p>What’s wrong with North Bluff Res Hall?</p>
<p>With multiple dorms being raised that don’t have names describing their physical location, maybe it is time that some of the newer dorms acquire similar names. I don’t know if donors want to put their name on a UA dorm, but UA does need to do something for Dr. Witt when he retires and the renaming Ridgecrest South or North Bluff to Witt Hall would accurately reflect many of his accomplishments as UA President.</p>
<p>I do like the idea of new dorms being built, a new rec center (but it needs a pool), and a dining hall. From what I see, none of this expansion is using the Bryce Property, which leaves room for other expansion. I don’t know if it is possible, but I’d like to see more property leased out to places like another grocery store (maybe a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market), and more chain restaurants (Waffle House, Taco Bell, something).</p>
<p>I agree with m2ck that it is amazing to see all this expansion as other schools are having serious money problems and the surge in hs graduates is apparently on the decline.</p>
<p>I’m hoping that Steak 'n Shake will put in a restaurant in the vicinity of the university, RiverWalk, and the new Outdoor Amphitheater.</p>
<p>I emailed them and asked. LOL</p>
<p>Waffle House, Taco Bell, ? are you serious? Come on, aren’t there already plenty of those around campus? I would hope that a healthier chain like Chipolte might want to locate closer to campus.</p>
<p>The reason I want a Steak n Shake is that it’s open 24 hours. It has breakfast and lunch/dinner menus.</p>
<p>There’s already a Qdoba at University Town Center. </p>
<p>I love to see a Steak N Shake in Tuscaloosa!</p>
<p>I think “North Bluff” is too generic, as are “Riverside”, “Lakeside” and “Ridgecrest”, honestly.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Yes, I think one located in the Riverwalk/Amphitheater area would do well.</p>
<p>UA needs more chain restaurants within walking distance from campus (Waffle House and Taco Bell are not). Not contract things, but actual ones that accept coupons and gift cards and do the national specials. Judging by the Wikipedia article, Steak 'n Shake sounds like a good option and would be a new entry into the Tuscaloosa market.</p>
<p>With the newer residence halls renamed after people or other non-location-based names would eliminate a lot of the confusion with names like “Ridgecrest South South [Tower].” Especially if UA keeps renting out the Bluffs, a North Bluff would be confusing. A naming theme would be cool, one CC I attended named it’s buildings after WA mountains, for example. If no donors come forth, one of the simplest things would be to name buildings after Alabama counties. For example, a building with a Starbucks could be Coffee Hall. Though it’s named after a person, the Shelby Complex already follows this theme.</p>
<p>Naming rights usually comes with a price tag, but I do think a Witt Residence Hall is appropriate.</p>
<p>And, yes, the Ridgecrest South - South Tower thing is silly.</p>
<p>*The new eatery will be 2,700 square feet and replace the Bidgood Bistro, a sandwich and coffee shop on the bottom floor of Bidgood that serves mostly students in the College of Business. The 180-square-foot shop is jammed during lunch and between classes throughout the day, said Gina Johnson, director of auxiliary services at UA.</p>
<p>“It cannot handle the traffic,” she said.</p>
<p>The new $1.4 million eatery will expand the bistro, keeping the Starbucks coffee station and adding two food ordering lines for the Subway sandwich shop.</p>
<p>Work will begin this summer and should finish before the end of the year, said Tim Leopard, assistant vice president for construction and construction administration.*</p>
<p>The early plan for the area would make the dorm approved Thursday the first phase of a remake of that area on campus, Leopard said. The second phase would add a $15 million recreation center and a $7 million dining hall. The third phase would raze the 13-story Rose Towers dorm, and replace it with a dorm similar to the North Bluff community, Leopard said.</p>
<p>I wonder if the replacement for Rose will be built in a different spot so that Rose can be used until the other is completed. </p>
<p>Trustees also voted to take over construction of a new Jewish student center, Hillel House. In November 2007, trustees leased a lot on Fourth Avenue behind Hotel Capstone to the B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation to build the new student center. After raising money, the foundation hired an architect and trustees approved the appearance of the 4,150-square-foot building in Sept. 2009.</p>
<p>I thought that the new Subway and Hillel House had already been approved months ago, but apparently that is not the case. Hopefully the existing Subway will stay open because I doubt the one between Bidgood and Alston will be open for dinner.</p>
<p>Sea_tide…where is the existing Subway? Is it in Bidgood? How long has it been there? </p>
<p>I’m not sure what the new plan is…I think it’s to make the existing one bigger??? If it’s adding 2 more ordering lines, then that suggests a much bigger Subway. </p>
<p>Wasn’t there some other plan to put in another food venue service as well over there?</p>
<p>The Hillel House had been approved awhile ago. I think this approval was that Bama has agreed to take over supervising the actual construction. Probably a cost-saving measure for the Hillel.</p>
<p>^</p>
<p>I think he’s referring to the new food court currently being finished in Lloyd Hall- it includes a Subway, I believe.</p>
<p>EDIT: scratch that- the new food court (now open, wow) has a Chick-Fil-A, a Pizza Hut Express, Boar’s Head, and a Java City.</p>
<p>The existing Subway is on University Blvd. past Publix. I don’t consider the walk that bad because they usually offer a large selection of $5 footlongs and honor the coupons put in the CW. Publix also makes sub sandwiches, but I’ve never tried one.</p>
<p>Right now, Bidgood only has a place that serves Starbucks coffee and sells some small snacks.</p>