<p>Highlights of projects and renovations to be completed in the next few years: </p>
<p>Rose Towers to receive almost $ 30 million renovation, to make it more suitable for today’s student needs - Big surprise, as I thought they would tear it down, but I guess the Campus Master Plan has changed. Hopefully, the renovation will get rid of that “Good Times” project look.</p>
<p>Tutwiler Hall to receive major renovation as well</p>
<p>Ten Hoor, and Doster, Biology Building ( $15 million! ), and many other campus buildings as well. </p>
<p>Specifics about cost and purpose of each renovation and construction project is in this document, including info about Phase 3 and Phase 4 of the Science and Engineering Complex.</p>
<p>Project Name: Science and Engineering Complex Phase III
Southwest Corner of Science and Engineering Quad</p>
<p>Estimated Capital Outlay: $ 70,000,000
Anticipated Capital Funding Source(s): Federal Grants and Bond Funds
Projected Annual O&M Costs: $ 990,802.60</p>
<p>Project Description/Scope</p>
<p>The proposed third phase of Science and Engineering Complex will be located opposite Shelby Hall, defining the new Quad envisioned by the Universitys Campus Master Plan. The new three-story facility will be a classical design similar to Shelby Hall and Phase II and will feature brick and limestone as the primary materials. This facility will include laboratory and support space to serve multiple departments of the College of Engineering, with a focus on multidisciplinary teaching and research. The first floor will feature a number of high-bay laboratory spaces dedicated to research and applications in large-scale structures, materials testing, electromechanical systems, and fuels/combustion research. Additionally, the building will house facilities used for research and education in bioengineering, telemedicine, occupational health, and rehabilitation engineering/assistive technology applied to health-related issues such as prosthetics design. Similarly, a key component of the design is to build interest in engineering by putting engineering on display that will allow the activities in the laboratories to be easily observed by students and the public from a central concourse overlooking the main laboratory spaces.</p>
<p>SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING COMPLEX PHASE IV
Estimated Capital Outlay: $70,000,000</p>
<p>Project Description:
The University of Alabama is planning a Sciences and Engineering Corridor in the next
five years. The new state-of-the-art Shelby Hall will serve as the anchor for the corridor.
Three new interdisciplinary science and engineering facilities will be constructed in close
proximity to Shelby Hall and the existing Rodgers Science and Engineering Library.</p>
<p>Phase Four, 175,000 GSF facility, will house science and engineering functions and is
Proposed to be located on the northwest corner behind Houser Hall.</p>
<p>Project Impact:
University undergraduate enrollment has increased from 15,452 in fall of 2002 to 17,496
in fall of 2005. The Fall 2006 total enrollment was 23,878, including 4,378 new
freshmen. The University has implemented an ambitious growth plan goal of enrolling
28,000 students by 2013. This growth has had, and will continue to have, a substantial
impact on the departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Chemical and Biological
Engineering and Computer Science. These are some of the largest programs on campus
in terms of the number of both undergraduate and graduate majors and the programs
teach large numbers of students in service courses in support of the university core
curriculum or other programs on campus.</p>
<p>The new facilities will also allow the units to implement new modes of instruction. Most
of the existing lecture and teaching laboratory space was designed for an earlier era of
instruction, and does not lend itself well to active learning, self-paced learning,
integration of lecture/laboratory, and other new instructional modes. Bringing multiple
disciplines together in a single facility will foster interdisciplinary instructional activities
that will better prepare our students for the emerging interdisciplinary careers in science
and engineering. Carefully designed flexible teaching spaces will facilitate student
learning for not only todays students, but for future generations of students as well.</p>
<p>The $30M may be to renovate the interior, but also to make the exterior look more compatible with the Super Suites architecture. Is it getting a parking structure or is that for elsewhere?</p>
<p>Glad to read about some details about phase 3 and 4 of SEC</p>
<p>It is a great song eh? I actually saw a rerun yesterday that was quite touching. It was the episode in which the family was having a wake after the funeral of James, the father.</p>
<p>Is the Rose renovation due to Tuscaloosa’s limits on building heights? (In other words, because the university can’t build another dorm to a similar height, Tutwiler being a similar situation)</p>
<p>On a side note, the latest work on Lloyd only cost 6 mil? Not bad…</p>
<p>Side note #2: Glad to see that Nott’s roof is getting replaced- it’s in rather poor condition.</p>
<p>I don’t know if there’s a height limit for buildings in Tuscaloosa, but from what I understand, building restrictions are the reason why Riverside is 4 stories tall and Ridgecrest South is 5. It’s something about having to use a steel structure when there’s more than 4 stories and Riverside doesn’t have that because it was designed to only last than 10 or 15 years*. Lakeside and the other Ridgecrests do have a steel structure; I had part of a steel beam showing in my living room.</p>
<p>Of course, if UA didn’t get the Bryce property, I could see them expanding over the river (thanks to a new bridge) into Northport. </p>
<p>*I haven’t yet found an official document that confirms this.</p>
<p>I’ve also heard from SGA friends that Riverside/Lakeside were designed to last only 10-20 years, but that doesn’t mean they won’t continue to be used beyond that point.</p>
<p>Remodeling dorms every 10-20 years is standard operating procedure for many res halls. Typically after that length of time, plumbing/flooring/etc needs updating/replacing. If what those students were suggesting were true, Riverside would be torn down in a few years - which is obviously not true. </p>
<p>I don’t know what you mean by “structural repairs” but there’s no way that these expensive brick buildings were built with the idea that they would be torn down and rebuilt after 10-20 years. That would be ridiculous. I doubt that they would need internal structural rebuilding, but more likely cosmetic repairs, elevator replacements, kitchenette changes, etc.</p>
<p>I’ve heard that there is a “back up” plan that they could be converted to Living/Learning communities…kind of like Blount. Where kids can take classes in their own res halls. </p>
<p>I guess that is a back up plan if somehow kids stop wanting to live on campus. However, I see the opposite happening…a lot of kids staying on campus.</p>
<p>But that’s exactly what I’ve heard. The logical explanation may be that it will be cheaper to build these halls for a 20-yr timeframe and rebuild them rather than buildin them for to last 50-60 years.</p>