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More Housing and Parking on the way?

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If I'm reading this correctly, FAU wants to get going on the Innovation Village parking garages in April 2012. "Parking Garage III" will

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have an initial capacity of 1,000 cars with extension capabilities of an additional 1,000 spaces. In other words, a big damn garage. The location is, as you might expect, directly east of the new plaza that leads from the Alumni/Rec Center to the stadium. Projected opening date would be ~April 2013.

For all those current students who read this, please tell your friends. And when your friends complain about parking fees and why don't they just build a parking garage… this project is going to cost nearly $13M.

Additionally:
FAU is going to build a new $31M, 600-bed residence hall for freshmen in the "freshman housing neighborhood" (meaning HPT, GPT, IRT, etc) to be approved at the same time. Strike while it's hot! The housing project has three potential sites, and while Site C (south of the Parking garage 2) would probably be the least obstructive to current parking, don't be surprised if it's Site A (south of the new movie theater since it's so close to "the neighborhood." Usually this housing takes a year to build so if it came to pass, and it surely will, that means it should open in Fall 2013.

The new building would put the residential total, now at 3555, up over 4,100 residential students. Tack on the eventual 1,200 beds of the second phase of Innovation Village and you'd have 5,300 students living on campus in the next few years.

Wow.

As a side note, the document also talks about a "foodservice" being part of the new freshman housing project but doesn't say whether it would be another f-ing Outtakes or a new Center Marketplace-style cafe, which they've talked about for a little while now, although I was told if that came to pass it was going to be on the north end to service the IV people.

In my opinion, if they're not building a cafe they really should consider a mixed selection like they have in the Breezeway Cafe. You can never have too many food options in college.

More details ~Dec. 16th, when the project description goes out to prospective architectural firms.
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Re: More Housing and Parking on the way?

This might be a stupid question but I thought that is where the next area was slated to go with the next set of apartments just west of that.

Does anyone know if the arena is still on the long range master plan in that area?

GO OWLS!
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Re: More Housing and Parking on the way?

That's a perfectly fair question and I didn't get to listen to the stream of the BOT meeting so I don't know if it was addressed there. Here's what I know:

- The housing quad containing HPT, GPT, C-Block and IRT house a mix of underclassmen and upperclassmen right now but ideally FAU would like it to be all underclassmen there (particularly freshmen) with upperclassmen at the apartment complexes (IV and UVA). So it makes sense that they'd like to build a new freshman-specific housing project in that same general area.

- IIRC, Crocker Partners is actually the ones who build and operate the IV housing, so the next phase of IV housing should be determined more by them, not FAU. But FAU needs freshman housing now.

- There's been some resistance from the biology community (Bio faculty, SEEDS clubs, Mission Green) towards further development of the (I hate this word) "preserve" back there. According to a recent UP article, FAU basically promised no more development beyond the stadium and the first phase of IV apartments. I believe the wording was, "At this point, we don't foresee the need to build more on the preserve." Anyone with half a brain following the IV development knows that's a flat-out lie because, Innovation Village or not, SOMETHING will be built back there… it's just a matter of time. To help maintain the "Preserve", the SEEDS club built a sight-seeing trail through there called "Tortuga Trail." It was actually an SG-backed project, but honestly, it's not going to be enough to stop FAU if they want the land.

- So in summary, FAU may be building the new housing project down south instead of as IVA phase 2 because it's easier task politically and contractually. I think it's a good thing because this was not on the radar a year ago and now this is 600 beds ON TOP OF the eventual 1,200 IVA phase 2 beds. The more the merrier. In fact, they've got three potential sites for this freshman housing project and I'd like to see them build housing at all three over the next couple of years. If they restrict the distance requirement for on-campus residency like I suggested in another thread, they'd have no problem filling any of those housing projects. Win-win.
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Re: More Housing and Parking on the way?

I heard they were going to tear down Algonquin and the Housing office and put more beds there. I think that's a great place because it's right by all the other freshman housing. Don't know how'd it fit though..
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Re: More Housing and Parking on the way?

FAUfasho said

I heard they were going to tear down Algonquin and the Housing office and put more beds there. I think that's a great place because it's right by all the other freshman housing. Don't know how'd it fit though..

Interesting. They were or they are?

I'd thought about that during my time there. There's a lot of favorable sentiment towards Algonquin, the last of the original dorm buildings, and the only housing facility (I believe) that's paid off. However, it's prime real estate and we could ave 600 beds there instead of 100. I thought you could move the Housing office to Student Services and/or build new housing offices into the old engineering building renovation on the south side.

Similar deal with UVA, although I don't think that's paid off. There could be a massive, massive housing complex over on that side for 2000 people… or it could be a Greek Row, although from the sound of it they want the Greek Village near the stadium.
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Re: More Housing and Parking on the way?

Thanks for the link.  I wasn't aware that they were getting close.  I hope they add that soon, it is an important step in turning us into a traditional university.

Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
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Re: More Housing and Parking on the way?

If they are building a parking garage, where are they going to build the retail component of the Innovation Village? I thought it was going to be built as part of the parking garages.
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Re: More Housing and Parking on the way?

More Housing and Parking on the way?

Lm77 said

If they are building a parking garage, where are they going to build the retail component of the Innovation Village? I thought it was going to be built as part of the parking garages.

Right. That's still the plan. First floor retail, 2nd floor and above for cars. Technically the document says the garage should be designed to allow for retail should the university decide to pursue that direction, which of course they are.
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Re: More Housing and Parking on the way?

As an update, I'm reading this new housing facility plan and there's some interesting tidbits.

- First of all, the building must "take into consideration the future straightening of Indian River Street into a four lane boulevard." That will actually allow a lot of great development in the future on the south side. See

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here, page 17, for a diagram of what that would look like.

- Secondly, the food service venue is basically the Centre Marketplace ("the Caf") but a little bigger.

- Finally, the construction timeline would be June 2012 to July 2013. So it will open Fall 2013, although I mentioned that before.
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Re: More Housing and Parking on the way?

As Rick pointed out, FAU officially greenlit the new dorm today that I told you about back in December. Looks like it's going to be in the parking lot south of Parking Garage 2 and open next Fall. 7-8 stories, ~600 beds, freshmen only, four people to a suite, with a new dining facility on the ground floor. They may even incorporate some student suggestions like laundry rooms on every floor.

Proposed cost is $3,351/person/semester for 2-to-a-room, $4,661/person/semester for singles.

Little too rich for my blood, especially if you consider the mandatory meal plan… although it sounds like various groups are fighting to get the "mandatory" label stripped off. Doubt Chartwells is going to give up that guaranteed income any time soon though.


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