2017-2037 Campus Plan

[reformation]

seems like a setback for the univ--unless moving the med ctr off campus was more fantasy than reality. I would seem that medstar would want a better site. Seems like Gtwn hospital is really too small to be considered an elite medical facility anymore, would have seemed to benefit both parties to move it to a place that would facilitate real expansion rather than remaining sub scale.

[kchoya]

Aug 9, 2015 22:08:18 GMT -5 reformation said:

seems like a setback for the univ--unless moving the med ctr off campus was more fantasy than reality. I would seem that medstar would want a better site. Seems like Gtwn hospital is really too small to be considered an elite medical facility anymore, would have seemed to benefit both parties to move it to a place that would facilitate real expansion rather than remaining sub scale.

Where would they move the hospital? There aren't a lot of large open tracts in the area.

[RusskyHoya]

Doubling down on the 'Student Life Corridor,' including a rendering of a new, northern lawn between Darnall and the proposed MedStar surgical complex.

[reformation]

I'm curious if there was ever any thought to demolishing/renovating/rebuilding darnall as part of the revision of that side of campus-it would seem that a lot more could be done with its footprint (residential or academic) and its enough of a stand alone to not affect too many other things-obviously other than temp displacement of student housing--I know there was some look at doing something with Henle-though I guess that never went anywhere.

[DFW HOYA]

Nov 2, 2015 8:31:32 GMT -5 reformation said:

I'm curious if there was ever any thought to demolishing/renovating/rebuilding darnall as part of the revision of that side of campus-it would seem that a lot more could be done with its footprint (residential or academic) and its enough of a stand alone to not affect too many other things-obviously other than temp displacement of student housing--I know there was some look at doing something with Henle-though I guess that never went anywhere.

Darnall won't win any architecture awards but it is well built and functional for holding 310 students. There isn't the money to tear down buildings for convenience in search of better looking facilities.

As to Henle, it does takes up a lot of room and could be a candidate for urban renewal in 20-25 years, as is Village A, which, like Yates, was never built to have made it this long. If you look at the sheer footage between Lauinger and New South up and down the hill, you could do a lot in that space.

[hilltopper2000]

On the Med Quad, MedStar seems on board with this idea. There is an article on last week's Washington Business Journal about this. Basically, there will be a massive parking garage (600 spaces) underneath it. Query what will happen to the current partially above-ground facility. As if it weren't obvious, this sort of investment makes clear why GU sold the hospital (beyond the massive losses) and should have sold the hospital so much earlier. No way the University could have poured $567 million into a hospital expansion. This along would have increased the long-term debt of GU by more than 50%. Also, I assume this becomes University property when the entire hospital reverts back to GU. Anybody remember the date for that? I recall thinking that I would be old.

On the housing issue, I second DFW's post. Village A would be #1 for me on the chopping block--highly visible part of campus, horrible use of space, cheap construction. The current planning essentially envisions a reworking of Harbin with a massive expansion, possibly tripling the size. I wonder whether this, plus a few other tweaks here and there (maybe another story on New South, which seems reasonable), and something like Village A could be taken off line for housing. The University could redevelop the space for both housing and academic purposes, if it wishes to take another run at expanding the enrollment cap down the road.

[RusskyHoya]

Nov 2, 2015 11:56:26 GMT -5 hilltopper2000 said:

On the Med Quad, MedStar seems on board with this idea. There is an article on last week's Washington Business Journal about this. Basically, there will be a massive parking garage (600 spaces) underneath it. Query what will happen to the current partially above-ground facility. As if it weren't obvious, this sort of investment makes clear why GU sold the hospital (beyond the massive losses) and should have sold the hospital so much earlier. No way the University could have poured $567 million into a hospital expansion. This along would have increased the long-term debt of GU by more than 50%. Also, I assume this becomes University property when the entire hospital reverts back to GU. Anybody remember the date for that? I recall thinking that I would be old.

On the housing issue, I second DFW's post. Village A would be #1 for me on the chopping block--highly visible part of campus, horrible use of space, cheap construction. The current planning essentially envisions a reworking of Harbin with a massive expansion, possibly tripling the size. I wonder whether this, plus a few other tweaks here and there (maybe another story on New South, which seems reasonable), and something like Village A could be taken off line for housing. The University could redevelop the space for both housing and academic purposes, if it wishes to take another run at expanding the enrollment cap down the road.

The deal with MedStar was for 50 years, so 2050. By that point, medicine will probably consist largely of being injected by an army of nanorobots, who will fix you from the inside. Personally, I'm not getting too attached to the notion of getting a grand medical complex back. Who knows what conditions will be like by that point, economically and otherwise.

The thing is, Henle and Village A remain so popular in large part because they are such a "horrible use of space." Students like having apartments, rather than being crammed into a Darnall room so small that you and your roommate's beds are all of an arm's length apart. And, given what they're paying in room & board these days, it's hard to begrudge them that preference.

Similarly, even if you could add another floor to New South, who would want that? It's not suitable for anything other than freshman housing, and we've got the dorm space in hand to suit that class. Unless the size of the freshman class goes up - and I've heard nothing to suggest that is on the table for the upcoming 20-year plan - there's no demand for more bottom-of-the-barrel housing.

The new structure on top of Harbin patio is envisioned to be flex space: you can have it be residential when you need to take another facility offline for wholesale renovation, but otherwise it can be used for student group offices and workspace, and so on.

All in all, a pretty good video, and I think there's done well to recognize the strong desire for more green space and improving the pedestrian experience and aesthetic.

[TC]

Nov 3, 2015 23:17:49 GMT -5 RusskyHoya said:

The thing is, Henle and Village A remain so popular in large part because they are such a "horrible use of space." Students like having apartments, rather than being crammed into a Darnall room so small that you and your roommate's beds are all of an arm's length apart.

Total hyperbole. That space between the beds is at least three arm lengths apart.

[RusskyHoya]

Per The Hoya, this is now the 2017-2037 Campus Plan, as it will be submitted for approval by the end of the summer. First draft is due to be revealed in April: www.thehoya.com/campus-plan-looks-to-include-student-voices/