UI Living and Learning Community Breaks Ground –Ceremony To Take Place in September
Tuesday, July 23 2002
July 23, 2002^MOSCOW – Students along with faculty, staff and university friends haven’t seen anything quite like the University of Idaho’s Living and Learning Community, which is currently being built on the corner of Sixth and Line Streets. It’s a new breed of residential housing that is taking shape across college and university campuses nationwide. A groundbreaking for the entire project is being planned for September.^The university’s new Living and Learning Community is providing a specific need by combining the academic and social lifestyle into a cohesive living environment, providing many of the amenities of home. “It should truly feel like a home-away-from-home,” says Michael Griffel, director of University Residences.^ Suite-style living areas will accommodate four to five students each. The area will feature a common living space with a kitchenette, three to four adjoined bedrooms and one bathroom.^ Now in progress, the first phase of the project, to house 300 students, will feature the Scholars, Engineering and Natural Resources Halls. Each will have a porch, living and dining rooms, a full kitchen, family room and a space to study. This phase is expected to be completed by fall 2003. ^ The second phase, to be finished in the fall of 2004, will include a “Global Village,” housing students from around the world. The International Programs Office, along with a large retail café, will be housed in the complex. The entire project will accommodate up to 600 students.^ Construction of a new undergraduate housing facility has not taken place on the Moscow campus in nearly three decades. “This new facility will be the foundation for the traditional-age student to connect to the institution,” said Dan Schoenberg, director of Auxiliary Services. Griffel said he believes that the new space will “further fulfill the mission of being a residential campus of choice.”^ Work crews are currently preparing underground utilities, and the foundation should be poured by the end of July, according to Norm Yandt, project manager, who also worked on the Idaho Commons project.^ The construction project, totaling $32 million, is funded by bonds and will be paid back through room and board fees. University Residences, under the umbrella of Auxiliary Services, is a revenue-generating department. Even in a downside economy, a residential living space such as the Living and Learning Community can actually be a boon, Schoenberg said. Such facilities can have a positive impact on recruitment, retention and student success.^ To make up for the lost parking spaces at the construction site, Park Village Apartments, located on Home Street, will be demolished this summer.^ The remaining residence halls, Gault and Upham, also will be removed during the construction process. “It would take more dollars to renovate Gault and Upham Halls than to build a new residence hall,” said Schoenberg. “When they are removed and the new Living and Learning Center is open for business, the university will be offering 100 more beds than it is now.”^Approximately 1,800 students live in residence halls. More than 11,000 students attend the Moscow campus. ^The project is being delivered using a “design-build” method. In this method, the university describes in text and concept drawings the goals, parameters and requirements of a project, and then asks a team of architects and contractors to design a solution.^URS Corporation of Seattle serves as the “design-build” consultant. Hoffman Construction Company of Idaho and Design West Architects of Nampa and Pullman comprise the “design-build” team.^Contact: Michael Griffel, director of University Residences, (208) 885-5848, mgriffel@uidaho.edu; Norm Yandt, project director, (208) 885-7358, normy@uidaho.edu; Dan Schoenberg, director of Auxiliary Services, (208) 885-5500, dans@uidaho.edu or Leslie Einhaus, University Communications, (208) 885-6489, lesliee@uidaho.edu^^Editors and writers: Photos of the construction site are available at: http://www.its.uidaho.edu/today/admin/photo_list.asp. To access an electronic copy of conceptual drawings, e-mail Tom Tolman at tomt@uidaho.edu or phone (208) 885-2712.^-30-^LE-7/23/02-FAC/ADM/STP ^
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho helps students to succeed and become leaders. Its land-grant mission furthers innovative scholarly and creative research to grow Idaho's economy and serve a statewide community. From its main campus in Moscow, Idaho, to 70 research and academic locations statewide, U-Idaho emphasizes real-world application as part of its student experience. U-Idaho combines the strength of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. It is home to the Vandals. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.