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| Pard94 |
Lafayette's Master Plan...Bogus Megapardus passed this along to me.Has anybody read this thing??? It's crazy. I'm not sure what the timeline is on this but even Phase I has some pretty significant projectss outlined. When it is all said and done this campus will be unrecognizeable to most of us. I would be thoroughly excited by this if not for the constant "crying poor" of the college. I suppose much of this is probably subject to postponement or cancellation depending upon economic conditions. Here's the link. Enjoy... http://www.lafayette.edu/community/f...P%20Report.pdf |
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| Franks Tanks |
Re: Lafayette's Master Plan...
Interesting stuff. I really like the idea of removing Hamilton street and the roads around the quad to make attditional green space and campus gathering area's. Stuff like that wouldnt be very expensive either I would imagine. |
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| Pard94 |
Re: Lafayette's Master Plan...
The rendering looks fantastic. Did you catch the part where they said eventually the parking deck will be redone to support two new academic buildings...on top! Looks like I'll be tailgating on "Hamilton Green". They also talk about expanding the Williams Center for the Arts to house an underground garage for expanded parking during sporting events. |
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| Lafalum |
Where is the AJR memorial venicular to Easton. Have those plans been dropped or don't I see it. | ||||||
| Andy |
Link doesnt work, "page not found." Maybe they didnt like the exposure. | ||||||
| Franks Tanks |
The link works on AGS, but not here for some reason |
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| Pard4Life |
http://www.lafayette.edu/community/facilities
try that... Not crazy about building on Pardee lawn, but I like it, and all the purrty pictures. They should try to emphasize March Field football more... |
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| Pard94 |
They're going to tear down the Simon building on the Lawn to minimize the impact of building down there. And there seems to be some pretty impressive designs for March field as well. I'll tell you one thing...if you didn't think the remaining greek houses days were numbered before...go ahead and read this. |
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| Lafalum |
I at first thought this was a joke but now that I can see the link I see it is a plan. First, I give the administration high marks for having a plan, as ambitious as it is. It does give us a blueprint and an indication as to our capital needs ( and they are considerable in light of this plan). There does not seem to be a prioritization and to me that would be crucial. High marks here for realizing that putting substantial money into thrid street development other than green space is not money well spent. Expanding east of the present campus is not only logical but necessary. I'm not sure how it gets done without first addressing the parking issue. I can't see faculty walking from the new parking lot to Pardee. Who is going to park their cars at the foot of the hill??
But I especially like the realization that expansion is east!!! I still believe we need to be bigger to be more fiscally efficient (2700-2900) |
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| Bogus Megapardus |
. . . . except Zete, of course, which holds a double-secret special place in the heart of the trustees and will be the last remaining greek. Zete alums likely will complain that "the Lawn" - which derives its name from being Zeta Psi's front lawn - might be trod upon by unworthy others in the future. The Master Plan authors, by describing the Lawn as "underutilized," probably didn't understand that "the Lawn" is supposed to be Zete's exclusive domain. Adding a residence hall on the Lawn beneath Pardee Hall will violate this unwritten edict and upset the Big Money Zetes who are going to be paying for this stuff. |
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| Pard94 |
Methinks we figured out Bogus' greek affiliation. |
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| Bogus Megapardus |
It wasn't Zete, that's for sure. I was, however, a chapter president for another house for two years, so I sat in on a lot of panhellenic council meetings. I saw firsthand the sway that Zete could control. |
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| Pard94 |
Wow...all of that influence must be with the board. In my 4 years in the greek system I wasn't even sure Zete was open. That's how much influence they had with their fellow houses. Of course my house now sleeps with the fishes so what do I know? |
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| Bogus Megapardus |
They all sleep with the fishes - mine as well. The whole system will dissolve eventually. We'll then see the emergence off-campus "eating clubs" that do not require college-issued "greek" charters. Zete's panhellenic influence came directly from the Dean. Zete didn't have to speak up because its positions always had been pre-approved. The 2:00 AM tap rule came to be during my term, for example. Only Zete voted for it, only Zete enforced it, and eventually, the Dean exercised his authority and imposed it. When Zete complained about students "disrupting" studies by sledding on "the Lawn" after a snow, there was a crackdown by the Dean such as I'd never seen before. There are lots of other things I could bring up. Trust me, Zeta Psi holds a special place. Indeed, a current trustee was Zete chapter president when I was there. |
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| Pards Rule |
Disrupting studies?!? Cut me a break! Who has their windows open after a snow! And I'll bet the Zetes were the first one with their Marquis trays (sleds) on the hill after the snow. | ||||||
| DaveR |
The "Space Needs Analysis" on p. 39 indicates that the student headcount (2403) for the "Base Year" (2007) is the same as that for the "Plan Horizon". I could not find anything defining the year of the Plan Horizon. |
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| Bogus Megapardus |
Lesser persons were despoiling "their" lawn. Unacceptable. In any event, I could not find a timeline for any of this activity, either, but I do know that "some" of phase one already has started. We can expect the road through the quad to be torn up soon, I suppose. The whole Hamilton Street thing looks pretty, but I expect it will be quite some time before that happens. Ten years, maybe? Who knows. The east face of KSC is not the most appealing facade to be facing a lovely new green, but there's not much that can be done with that, I suppose - unless they give it a Skillman Library treatment. |
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| Pards Rule |
Not impressed with the taste of the back of Skillman. They have to do better on the east side of Kirby. Concerned about the parking garage look to replace Watson Courts but if they do it nicely it could certainly look better than those has-been units that are seriously deteriorating. Look to the municipal garage design on Collins Ave. near 5th in Miami Beach as a guide. | ||||||
| Pards Rule |
[quote="Bogus Megapardus"]
Lesser persons were despoiling "their" lawn. Unacceptable. I guess these folks eventually bought a second home in the Loveladies or North Beach areas of Long Beach Island and are the ones who do not want to open public access to "their" beaches on the north end. They are holding up federal funding for beach replenishment on LBI because fed regs require public access every quarter mile. They use every excuse imagined to oppose the replenishment project (and avoid the public access requirement) but ultimately the goal is to retain "their" beaches for their personal enjoyment. |
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| Bogus Megapardus |
I live in Princeton and I go to Skillman Library frequently for research or just to do work on weekends in the big reading room. (Skillman has much better resources than most people believe - it has things that Princeton does not have). The rework of Skillman, both inside and out, is fantastic, I think. It's a wonderful place to study and concentrate and be nerdy. In particular, I think the "new" front of Skillman was done unbelievably well, in contrast to the horrid, awkward and ill-proportioned Student Center across the Quad, which pales in comparison to the beautiful historic Delta Upsilon structure it replaced. (and no I'm not a DU, either). The back - or westerly face - of Skillman is is just like my own backside: ugly as sin. But a front-side Skillman treatment done to the easterly face of KSC would work nicely, IMHO.
My understanding is that the new Watson Courts garage will be entirely underground with a green plaza on the top. |
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| Pard4Life |
[quote="Pards Rule"]
Where is a Robert Moses when you need one? |
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| Bogus Megapardus |
Perhaps Robert Moses was a Zete. |
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| Pard4Life |
No, I don't think he was anything... in fact he started his own frat/honor society at Yale I believe because he was a Jew and the WASP powers that be discriminated if you were non-WASP/did not go to their boarding high school. Since this IS a sports board... he took on Walter Camp to get funding for other sports aside from football. |
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| Pard4Life |
Interesting... I was unaffiliated, but the lawn should be left alone because one is given a wonderful view of Easton from Pardee, plus the steps act like a 'gateway' to the city. True it is underutilized though... I think I walked down those steps once... What influence does Zete have today? I did not get the sense that any one frat held sway over social activities or the 'way of things' at Lafayette. In fact, many of the guys I knew in Zete were very 'questionable' in terms of smarts, not to mention the rampant drug scene. The old WASP grip on organizations through power and influence is nearly dead, if not dead already. BUT... there could be holdouts at our school since the BOT and controlling groups select people just like themselves to keep running things, regardless of the size of their selection pool. Nobody mentions KDR either. I'm not sure what role frats play at the College aside from a social scene... I can understand why they were essential elements of a campus in the 19th century and only a few decades ago... but today? And nobody has mentioned sororities... I run the risk of sounding sexist, but sororities are many times worse than frats in terms of group think/peer pressure/conformity and haughtyness. Lafayette is perhaps to small to support a greek system because it runs counter to encouraging diversity. You have monolithic blocs of people who think the same and share the same ideals (for the most part). Was Rothkopf affiliated at all? Just curious... |
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| Franks Tanks |
Agree that the Greek system is mostly a social outlet, but I believe it is (was) an essential part of what makes or made Lafayette Lafayette. Without a greek system the school will suffer IMO as we compete with schools like Bucknell, Colgate and Lehigh who still have thriving greek systems and that is desirable by many students. |
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| Lafalum |
I believe Rothkopf was a Pi Lam | ||||||
| Lafalum |
Strategic plans/master plans are all about a blueprint for a wishlist. It assumes an infinite amount of time with an infinite amount of money neither of which is rationally available. Ultimately the management of the school will be about making choices from limited resources. We can not raise enough money to accomplish everything in the plan in the next 10 years. So the choices may become do we hire 35 new professors or make hamiliton street a brick walkway, build underground parking garages, etc,etc.
We want to add employees (faculty and a small number of administrators) but keep the student population the same. That can only happen by raising tuition ( probably very difficult in the years ahead), getting alumni to give a huge amount of money, or making a killing in the market ( that worked well the last several years). Consider this ...if 35 new faculty cost 3.5 mio per year you need 70 mio in additional endowment to support that, add in the buildings.office space and maintanence then add in the beautification wants, scholarships, and inflation etc while all keeping the student population the same...... a ten year plan is very ambitious. On the other hand by starting some of those initiatives without identifying the funding would be irresponsible. But this is a map...a very long term map which by the end of ten years will need to be revised again. Moody's mentions in its latest review of the college (Sept 25) that we are relatively endowment dependent(29% of revenues in FY 2008) which indicates we have less room to use endowment for strategic expenditures without raising significantly additional new money. Borrowing money Moody's says will place stress on the current rating and outlook. Last year's yield on accepted students was a modest 26 pct on an 11 pct decline in applications points to our limited ability to raise tuition going forward. We have significant challenges in filling in this map. |
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| Pard94 |
Man Lafalum...you're a party pooper!  I think we all know in our hearts this is a LONG term deal. That being said, some of the more interesting projects are listed as "Phase I" (Hamilton Green included). It would be interesting to know what the priority is for the Phase I projects and the timeline for each.
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| Lafalum |
Didn't mean to be a party pooper but unless YOU have a really fat wallet don't expect the bulldozers to arrive in the next six months. I think some of the ideas are terrific especially expanding to the east side of the campus but it is a road map on a long journey that will require management. | ||||||
| Pard4Life |
Right lafalum, as usual. I was reading this plan as the "Lafayette 2026 Plan" ie bicentenial year, or more realistically 2030/2035. I was also reading this with "recession," "donor wealth decline," and "new college operating paradigm" blaring in the background. While awesome, this plan is about a decade too late. Parents will not tolerate skyrocketting tuitions from private schools like ours any longer. Which ties into the larger point of improving our academic quality to become an upper echelon school like Swathmore, Middlebury (with DI athletics) to the point where parents/students will want to attend no matter what because of our high quality. If not, then we run the risk of being stuck in the "decently smart students who are rich" classification, plus the studets we buy with Marquis scholarships. The eternal question is "how to reach this plateau?" Buildings and greening are a very small portion, but increasing our student body to make the school more vibrant would be a start (plus increase our donor pool by 2035) and allow us to offer more programs to make students want to attend. We still need a brand overhaul. It has improved, but not as much as it could.
And, this looks like the most ambitious building and transformative initiative since the 1950s? Or ever? |
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| Pard4Life |
A funny FYI, but the only non-college owned property in the Hamilton development (looking at the key) is Tavani's house I believe. And, it's not on the new map... he will probably be retired by the point this plan comes through. Otherwise I doubt he'd sell for a dollar. Just think of the utility and sewer relocation mess in that area... And the expense. | ||||||
| Franks Tanks |
Actually I believe Frank's house is owned by the college. Perhaps Franks house will be kept in tact to be used as a museum when the rest of the area is razed. |
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| TheTruth |
I wouldn't read too much into this Master Plan. As Lafalum has suggested, this plan is based on the College raising enough money, $400 million comes to mind. It's going to have to be revised to reflect the current and future economic realities.
Also back in 1994 or 1995, the College released a Master Plan. The initial version included a new building where Phi Psi is located. I'd be shocked if half of this is accomplished before they do another Master Plan. Probably will be done after Weiss has left and the next President is on board. (not suggesting Weiss is leaving but this is simply the realities of higher educations) |
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| Pard94 |
Perhaps we qualify for some sort of federal bail out? 
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| Pards Rule |
Agreed on the ridiculous concept of locating a residence hall in front of Pardee. That will never fly - and I wasn't a Zete or any Greek period. It just would totally detract from the Pardee setting. No further discussion on that one! If LC wants to do new residence halls, locate them in the eastern expansion zone. That would tie the campus together and not ruin a great green space in front of Pardee. | ||||||
| Pard94 |
I think you guys may be misreading the plan for the residence hall in question. The plan goes out of it's way of perserving an enhnacing all existing green space very much including the lawn. They are talking about getting rid of the Simon center and building on that footprint. There will be no large building on the lawn itself. Rather the plan calls for the lawn to be framed, if you will with Pardee on one side and the new residence hall on the other. The lawn remains intact and "unimproved". I think there was some talk of imrpoving the sightlines of downtown from that area. Most importantly though...the lawn is safe. |
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| Bogus Megapardus |
Yes, it is. The roadway in front of Kirby Hall will go away and new residence halls will be built where Simon and a parking lot now sit. This will "frame" the lawn and give it prominence. I like it. I see a new building next to Easton Hall (my freshman residence) in Phase One, framing what is now called the "Marquis Quad." Is there really room for this? This will really sandwich and darken Ruef Hall. |
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| Pard94 |
Are you talking about the only new building to be built on the Quad? If so that building goes where the surface parking lot is currently. My then girlfriend, now wife, used to get tickets for parking in some Dean's spot in that lot all of the time. Apparently that building is very important as it is to be the new Welcome Center/entry to the campus. That's probably high on the list of things to do first. |
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| DaveR |
Found it: On p. 15 of the Appendix, it is stated: "The planning horizon for this study is assumed to be approximately 5 years from Fall 2007 at which time the College wishes to maintain a steady state enrollment level of approximately 2,400 students." From the extent of the plan, however, it seems more long term (as others have pointed out). |
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| Bogus Megapardus |
No - I'm referring to a new dorm where the parking lot below Zete now sits, plus a new dorm just to the west of Ruef Hall. The new "welcome center" will, in fact, be built on the Quad where the small parking area now lies. |
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| Lafalum |
What were they thinking!! Even starting from 2007 that would have been a miraculous transformation. Not realistic!! |
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| Bogus Megapardus |
 Right? Finished by 2011? I think not.
Lots of this stuff won't get done anyhow. Paving stones are a maintenance nightmare; the City of Easton will insist on existing vehicular rights-of-way for fire equipment, and the Sullivan green will just emphasize the monstrous monotony the is the easterly side of KSC. Don't get me wrong - I'm all for campus aesthetics. I just don't want it to look like a suburban shopping plaza. The idea is to make new things look as if they've always been these and are a natural part of the campus. The disgracefully ill-conceived Farinon Center was a appalling failure to achieve such a goal. I hope the other "improvements" don't follow suit. |
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| Pard94 |
I love the Farinon Center. granted they could have gone with a better color scheme on the inside originally but I like the structure itself. |
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| Pards Rule |
Ok thx Bogus for the interpretations. So where will they house the Simon Business Center then? Can they really demo a Simon branded building? I like the concept of the Hamilton green, but I wonder if the Welcome Center should be placed at the top of that hill instead to avoid the crowding of the Quad that will inevitably occur with the new residence hall. And why dont we aim for a student body of an even 2500! | ||||||
| Pard4Life |
I was wondering about the name implications. Simon is a dump and should be demolished. However that other building in the complex, Junker Hall I think, was built in the 1860s and is the second oldest building on campus after South. Farber and Watson are the others slated for the wrecking ball.. both awful. The welcome center should ideally be where Watson stands now. |
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| Pards Rule |
LOL Junker Hall - Jenks Hall it is..God, I remember when Simon opened in 1986. I went to an open house they had Homecoming weekend and it was Oct. 1986 - I think we played UNH that afternoon?? Anyway, haven't been inside there I beleive for like 20 years - has it gone that far downhill? And, wow Farber was still being called "New Dorm" when I was a frosh as it hadnt been "bought" yet and I think soph year was when the Farber family - in memory of their dead son who was a student at LC when he died - contributed the 50% plus $1 to name it. And what happens then? I mean, I think the family thought that the building would remain for at least their lifetime and maybe that of the siblings (if any). Are contracts signed for this type of donation? Is there a duration? Same thoughts with Simon - a major alumnus and benefactor and the only place named for him is going to be bulldozed? I know he died like in 2000 - is the widow still alive? How is this handled? Inquiring minds want to know. | ||||||
| Bogus Megapardus |
You think so? I was wondering about that. It would be the first thing a visitor would see coming up the hill. But do you think the idea would be to get the visitor into the middle of the "friendly confines" of the campus first? Or it is better to have the Welcome Center as the very first thing one sees? |
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| Pards Rule |
I think it should be the first thing one sees entering the heart of campus..The welcoming confines of campus are already there and evident. Like I put forth before, I think the addition of another building on the Quad would give it quite a claustrophobic feeling. There would be room next to Williams and the view out big windows looking down the Hamilton slope would be great! Not to mention a nice open air balcony a la Pfenning! I think my true calling was a planner...Oh well, I try to interject where I can. | ||||||
| TheRock90 |
Me thinks Bogus Megapardus may have beat you to it. | ||||||
| Pards Rule |
Oops thought you were talking about Watson Hall - not the Courts. Well assuming they dont already have solid plans for the Courts, absolutely put it there. I think there is room for it as well between Williams Arts and Alumni Gym/Pfenning with parking underneath! There you go! Like I said make sure you have a balcony and big windows that overlook the "Hamilton Green"...Aye, Bogus and I would be dangerous together! | ||||||