University of Tampa News and Development

[LuvHighrisers]

Not to mention that you just don't walk into most dorms anymore. You either have some type of door security/front desk personnel or a FOB secured entrance.

[Jasonhouse]

Yet for some reason we still need decorative fences along Kennedy.

[TampaMike]

Considering that you have many areas of the campus that anyone can really enter the campus and travel around, I don't see the need for additional fencing. The fence that already exist along Kennedy is fine because it's been there for a while and does look nice, I won't discredit that. But to surround the whole campus with it or even have copycat-like designs like TGH was doing across the street is ridiculous when you are properly trying to plan a corridor like Kennedy to be more urban. You're going to have one dead zone along Kennedy on the north side if everything from the CSX tracks to the river is nothing but fenced in UT buildings.

[Casey]

[QUOTE=smiley;87951581]

Tower crane is up.

[TPAMAN]

University of Tampa to build new athletics complex


Tampa Bay Business Journal
Date: Monday, March 26, 2012, 11:43am EDT


The University of Tampa plans to build a student intramural and athletic field and stadium on the west side of its campus.

R.R. Simmons of Tampa has been named to build the facility, a written statement said.

The new facility is being funded in part by Tampa’s Naimoli family and will be named the Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex. Vince Naimoli, founding partner of the Tampa Bay Rays , is a chair emeritus of the UT board of trustees.

[koopalicious]

Originally Posted by TPAMAN

University of Tampa to build new athletics complex

The final nail in the coffin for Kennedy.

[Jasonhouse]

The architect should have been honest and omitted the peds from the rendering. lol

[SkyDiveJunkee]

Talk about a university not taking advantage of location. With limited space for growth and a downtown at their front door, they should not be concerned with faux-security fences, instead designing quality buildings that engage an active streetwall.

Look to Tulane for inspiration -- they are in a similar setting. Flagler College is another (and doing it better).

[HARTride 2012]

Originally Posted by koopalicious

The final nail in the coffin for Kennedy.

It could be much worse. We could have nothing but walls along the north end of Kennedy for 15 blocks.

[Jasonhouse]

^And the difference for peds/drivers between a fence and a wall is... ?

I love how the UT people keep calling their campus a 'gateway'... Only in Tampa can a large swath of land surrounded by an imposing iron fence be billed as a 'gateway'.

[koopalicious]

Part of the UT release of what TPAMAN posted:

Ronald Vaughn, UT president, said the addition of lacrosse teams and the demand for intramurals, as well as the increasing need for academic and athletic space, necessitates the development. He added that the University will eventually build academic buildings on the site of the existing intramural field on campus.

“This project will give us more flexibility and green space into the future, and allow for academic expansion,” Vaughn said.

The field is planned to be artificial turf. A custom fence, similar to the one along UT’s current campus bordering Kennedy Boulevard, will be erected, as will a high net to keep athletic balls from disrupting traffic. The new facility would be consistent with UT’s design and use standards that have already taken place on campus and on Kennedy Boulevard, and would provide an appealing entry into Tampa’s downtown.

More: http://www.ut.edu/UT-Announces-Const...-Facility.aspx

I love how the UT people keep calling their campus a 'gateway'... Only in Tampa can a large swath of land surrounded by an imposing iron fence be billed as a 'gateway'.

Now with bonus nets!

[Jasonhouse]

Nothing says "welcome to Tampa" like having your windshield smashed by a foul ball.

[TampaMike]

Originally Posted by Del Mayberry

By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune
Published: February 09, 2012
Updated: February 09, 2012 - 2:52 PM
The former site of the Valencia Garden restaurant is becoming a residence hall for the University of Tampa.

For the second time in recent weeks, the University of Tampa has announced plans to add onto its campus along Kennedy Boulevard.
University-owned buildings vacated by two Kennedy businesses west of campus will be demolished, making way for future construction, a UT release states.
Complete Auto Remarketing Specialist at 1107 W. Kennedy was knocked down Wednesday, and Olin Mott Tire at 1119 W. Kennedy will be destroyed in coming days, UT spokesman Eric Cardenas said.
The university did not disclose plans for the sites.
"We haven't announced anything because plans may change and we have to get various approvals from the city," Cardenas said.
No timeline for construction was immediately available.
"We have needs for certain things for campus – for co-curricular space, for residence hall space, for academic space," Cardenas said. "We're hoping to use the properties that we own to fill those needs."
Future construction will be consistent with UT's design standards "and would provide an appealing entry into Tampa's downtown," the release states.
In late January the university announced it was about to build the largest-ever residence hall on campus at another site along Kennedy. The residence hall will help meet an increasing demand for student housing, university officials said.
Slated for completion in August 2013, the $38 million structure will be 11 stories high and accommodate 523 students. The building will be on land where the iconic Valencia Garden restaurant once stood.
Site preparation is under way, and the building should begin to go up in April.
The construction comes during a time of record-breaking enrollment at UT. The private university's student body of 6,738 has quadrupled in the past 17 years, and 65 percent of its full-time students live on campus.

All the buildings were demolished and the site was pretty torn up and fenced in when I drove by last week.

[Del Mayberry]

I saw it as well a few days ago. They seemed to be going full tilt on it. And at eleven floors, it must be the tallest amongst all the other dorms around there. I personally think the dorms are all kinda blah. Not the best entrance view going into DT. But it could be worse.

[Jasonhouse]

Urso Hall is also 11 floors.

And yeah, that stretch of Kennedy is a mess right now.

[Del Mayberry]

How's the new dorm coming along? I haven't been around there in a long time. Also, does anyone know what is being built on DM & Spruce? They demolished the ABC liquor store and now they are building something new. There is a sign that says "Coming Soon". Also, further up DM south of the hospital a three story building is going up. Sorry, I didn't think a new thread had to be open for this.

[jonknee]

Originally Posted by Del Mayberry

How's the new dorm coming along? I haven't been around there in a long time. Also, does anyone know what is being built on DM & Spruce? They demolished the ABC liquor store and now they are building something new. There is a sign that says "Coming Soon". Also, further up DM south of the hospital a three story building is going up. Sorry, I didn't think a new thread had to be open for this.

I believe they're building a Chase bank.

[Jasonhouse]

Yep.

[Del Mayberry]

Originally Posted by jonknee

I believe they're building a Chase bank.

Thanks. How about the new dorm?

[jonknee]

Originally Posted by Del Mayberry

Thanks. How about the new dorm?

Coming along, they're several stories vertical.