Tonia Moxley of the Roanoke Times wrote a really nice article summarizing campus expansion and how it's partially driven by research and sports initiatives: http://roanoke.com/news/nrv/1803901-12/virginia-tech-is-a-growing-campus....
As a resident of Thomas my freshman year, I'm jealous of the new dorms in the upper quad.
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That's nice. Time for them to break ground on a new indoor football practice facility.
My dad was devistated when he heard they were tearing down Thomas, his home for at least a few years.
"But the living there , if not hard, is at least extremely inconvenient" I could not have said it better myself.
After living in Brodie for the first 3 years on campus and Monteith for the last, I can agree that Monteith definitely needs to go, but I don't see how you can house all these kids on campus if you don't expect to replace Thomas and Monteith.
Also, it's nice that they built the two new parking garages, but the still need to do one in the cage. I think that would solve a lot of resident and game day parking.
The building replacing Upper Quad will house the entire corps (>1000 people now) which is an improvement from the current size.
Also, a parking garage is planned for the Cage. After being there at Spring Game, I saw where they have built the Cold Water Facility (I think that's what it is) that provides cool air to all of campus and are working on a new agricultural building of some sort. The Cage will soon have a garage. Crazy to think that just about 6 years ago, there were no parking garages in all of Blacksburg and now there are 4, eventually 5 or more.
Too slow on the parking. Please stop building dinning halls. What about the student center and library?
There are no more dining halls being built currently. Turner's Place was necessary as commuters are buying more and more meal plans. Having that option reduces the stress on places like West End and Owen's and allows easy access to food for commuters on that side of campus. A new student center has been in discussion for a little while. The idea I heard was to put it on the lawn between East AJ and Pritchard so it would be right in the middle of the residential side of campus. Squires would then be mostly handed over to the Music Department since they use most of the space already.
That would be fantastic! I hate the construction place they have there right now.
Call me old school but that field between AJ and Pritchard was prime real estate for pick up football games Freshman year. Would hate to see one of the few slivers of grass not on the drill field go away. Although it does make perfect sense for the proposed application.
I agree and I think there will still be some room behind the building just as there is currently room right now behind the construction zone. But remember, since 2009, that area has been occupied with construction equipment. After this year, there won't be anybody but Super Seniors and grad students that remember playing sports on Dietrick lawn.
and those who go here now but have been coming to games and campus since 99...which sounds like forever ago
When I was at Tech in the late 90's (class of 00) parking servces sent out a survey on paring garages and I was against them then, and I am still against them. There isn't a need for them in my opinion. The BT is free for students, take it if you can't find a parking spot. I also never had a problem parking on campus, but I did park at the duck pond lot when it was really busy.
The late 90's was over a decade ago.
Times they are a changing. They're a necessity now.
Definitely. I gave up trying to ride the bus when three in a row would pass me, and that was 45 minutes before class. The entire transportation system (both buses and parking) has become overburdened in the last few years.
Honestly why? The majority of all apartment complexes are within walking distance. There is a public transportation, plenty of bicycle parking, and more.
I understand the need to have a car if you live in Christiansburg, or for when you go to your parents house, but then you just leave it at the cage or at your apartment.
Sorry, I just don't see how everyone should drive everywhere. I think that is the wrong mentality for a place that doesn't need it. I used to walk everywhere when I went to school there, or rode a bike.
The largest proportion of juniors and seniors lives along Patrick Henry, which is a good 20 minute walk to surge but if going to the other side of campus it is a pain to go there and back everyday. Also, if you live in collegiate suites/hunters ridge its impossible to get a bus to the residential side of campus for the gym or any classes over there. I take the buses sporadically but unless you ride it in the morning the BT is very inconsistent
Honestly it is a convenience thing, but I'm also speaking from a staff standpoint as well. Living in foxridge, I do have bus stops outside my door and for the most part will take the bus; I did for my super senior semester as well as occasionally now to save on gas/parking passes. But for the most part, at the end of the day when I just want to get home, I can either go out to the parking lot and get home in 10 mins or less; or, have to walk 10 mins across campus then take another 15-25 mins depending whether a bus is there or not and then I'm the last stop.
Being in the corps my first four years on campus, I walked everywhere and only used my car to go to cburg, but looking back on it now, the smart way to do it, is instead of paying for a parking pass, leave your car somewhere that doesn't tow and take the bus. That is a couple hundred bucks a semester saved, as well as gas, etc.
I somewhat agree with you. I think a great majority of people are just lazy and want to drive. I graduated in 2011 and lived in Pheasant Run for 3 years and almost never drove to campus. I either bussed it or when I lived closer to campus walked. It may be worse for buses now, but i can't see it being that much worse.
It is tough to walk to campus everyday when it is a 20-30 minute walk only to get to the edge of campus from most of the major student apartment complexes like Terrace View, the Village, other Patrick Henry Apts, Foxridge, etc. Thats about an hour of walking just for one round trip. Most Hokies can't afford to lose an hour of the day hoofing it around blacksburg when there is studying, working, classing, and drinking to do. Buses, bikes and cars get you there in a fraction of the time giving you more time to do all those other things.
Parking services came up with a great plan with the Bike Bus Walk program a couple years ago (2008?). 15 one-day parking permits per semester for $15. I took this option as soon as it was offered. I rode my bike most days and bussed when I didn't feel like biking. The 15 parking permits were used for days when I absolutely had to drive in order to get there fast in terrible weather. Ski goggles and mask can only keep you so warm/dry.
The BT is crowded and unreliable during peak hours. Bicycle is definitely the fastest mode of transportation around campus and Blacksburg, but some days you just have to drive.
I'm pretty sure that Bike Bus Walk thing used to be free and then they realized that it was so popular they could make some money and couldn't afford to give away free parking to people. It's still a good deal though for the people that only come on campus occasionally.
You are correct. Parking Services always gotta get that money.
I know everyone's situation is different, but my reason for driving primarily had to do with my schedule - as a landscape architecture student, I spent a ridiculous part of my time at VT in studio. When I lived on campus the first two years, walking back to Pritchard/Lee regularly past midnight was zero fun (especially when you're exhausted, or it's freezing outside). Once I moved off campus for the last three years, by the time I was done working most nights in studio the bus system had long stopped running for the day.
Oftentimes I would go a day or two without seeing any of my housemates - one particularly nasty time during exams/final project week I had to pull two all-nighters in a row and the guys I lived with hadn't seen me for three days straight! Point being, when your schedule isn't regular it's very difficult to rely on walking/biking/buses as the primary mode of transportation. I would have loved to have a more normal schedule & spend less money on a parking pass each year, but such is life.
I'd like to see a Parking Garage where the Squires lot is. I've never had trouble finding a parking space in the commuter lot (even if I have to park on the edge of price's fork). This location isn't used for tailgating (I don't think?), but is significantly closer to Squires, War Memorial, Owens, Hokie Grill, etc. It is also close to downtown, where it would be nice to have more parking. I'm sure downtown businesses would appreciate the additional parking.
Having been on that situation, there is still room for the corps to grow and I think if they built a safety net type building it would help. Cadets aren't the only ones who live on upper quad so it could host regular students when the corps isn't over the building limit.
Plus the cadet lifestyle doesn't adhere to normal dorm layouts. Having to triple people often causes problems. Honestly I'm just glad I was in when I was in and don't have to worry about it other than watch it being built.
The new ag building will house Food Science and Biological Systems Engineering. The sad, ugly, generally useless brick Food Science building will be no more.
To quote (incorrectly) Michael steele...
Build Baby Build!
I see nothing wrong with building new and better infrastructure. As long as we don't get into a debt hole, keep it coming. And wrap everything in Hokie stone!
i went to the gt game last year and hadnt been back until this past april 16.....holy crap theres a ton of construction. the new buildings look like theyre going to be incredible. i lived in pritchard when it was an all guy dorm my freshman year so im seriously jealous of the new dorms
I lived in Pritchard the last year it was all male. It was different to see Pritchard (aka the Man Castle, 7 Layers of Players) have girls in it the next year. That was also the last year where the whole area between it and AJ didn't have construction.
If you want to see the general plans for Virginia Tech in the future, check out the master plan presentation from a few years ago:
http://www.facilities.vt.edu/MasterPlan/
or in PDF form: http://www.facilities.vt.edu/MasterPlan/VATech2006-2016MasterPlan.pdf (I like this one better than the CD-on-a-website)
It's a nice look through and you can definitely see how they are implementing parts of it now and in the near future. Some of it is dated (talks of a new basketball practice facility!) with stuff that has since been built.
And a newer update to it that talks a lot about off campus VT properties: http://www.facilities.vt.edu/documents/oup/masterplan/2009_land_use.pdf
As another person who lived in Thomas their Freshman Year, "jealous" is an understatement.
That is all.
not only are they building new facilities but undertaking and completing minor to extensive interior and exterior renovations to other buildings (West/East AJ, Library, DX) I walked into DX when i was down for the spring game to use the restrooms and i was like i dont remember any of this! Same with the library entrance.