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Architects study students, campus for
building ideas
By Jodi Westrick
Collegian Reporter
The college administration and TMP Associates
of Portage have been discussing the possible addition of several
new buildings on campus.
While nothing has been officially decided,
the administration has been working closely with students, staff
and faculty to see what needs must be met if these buildings
were to be added to campus.
Rich Péwé, vice president of
administration, said there might be a slight possibility of
a new men's dormitory.
"We've looked at a lot of the numbers
of on-campus and off-campus students," he said. "The
meetings with students were to find out if there was a need
for more on-campus housing. If we felt we weren't meeting the
needs for students, we'd consider adding a new male dormitory.
"I think there is a demand for and a
need for another male dormitory due to the number of sophomores
and juniors currently living off campus."
While the plans for the building are still
in the early production stage, Péwé said that
the dormitory could possibly offer a more apartment-like feel
without students having to live far away from the campus community.
The buildings would also serve as a recruiting
tool for prospective students as well as fulfilling the needs
of the current student body.
Along with the possible addition of a new
dormitory, the administration is still looking into a new student
union. While TMP Associates met earlier in the semester with
various faculty, staff and students to discuss the needs within
the student union, some slight changes have been made. Because
of the age and small size of Curtiss Dining Hall, renovations
to or a movement of the dining hall are being considered.
"Right now, it doesn't look feasible
to get that done in the near future," Péwé
said. "We're looking at a window of three months when students
aren't on campus to get it done. We've been meeting with food
service consultants and TMP to see what could possibly be done.
We're still very much in the programming design and development
phase."
TMP Associates has worked closely with the
college. They built both Moss and Delp halls and helped in the
renovation of Central Hall. They are also currently working
on the two new classroom buildings, Lane and Kendall halls.
"We're currently working on meeting the
needs of the college," Mark Reile, senior associate with
TMP, said. "We've let the administration know which sites
on campus are buildable, and they are deciding what those sites
can best be used for."
If a new student union were to be built, it
would grace the front end of the East Lawn where the old Carr
Library currently sits.
"The plans for the student union make
sense," Péwé said. "The location is
ideal because it fits the walking pattern of students. The current
facilities are away from everything, and we want the campus
to have more of a community feel. It hopefully would increase
activity during evening hours and make it more of a hub for
students."
The administration must still wait for approval
from the board of trustees before any plans are made. Cost is
a main issue with the buildings and is being heavily considered.
"Right now we just need more time to
digest the information that TMP has given us," Péwé
said. "We also need to get that information to the right
people to look at before we start considering building anything."
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