I am still mystified as to where will all the money come from for a massive undertaking when the state is nearly belly up and the money pot for higher ed keeps dwindling...

(03-28-2014 12:54 PM)niucyberdawg Wrote:  I am still mystified as to where will all the money come from for a massive undertaking when the state is nearly belly up and the money pot for higher ed keeps dwindling...

In the last 20 years NIU has found ways to do all this (off the top of my head) in a time of significant cutbacks in state support:

Build New Hall and Northern View. Renovate Stevenson and Gilbert and upgrade Grant. Create that park by the west dorms, massively change the DuSable turnaround, do major work on the East Lagoon, and turn Altgeld into the amazing showpiece building it should be.

And that's without getting into the Barsema funded work or the student fee built Convo. And I'm sure there's other major work slipping my mind.

I see literally no reason to doubt NIU's capacity to do this over the long range being envisioned.

(03-28-2014 02:23 PM)DogTracks Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 12:54 PM)niucyberdawg Wrote:  I am still mystified as to where will all the money come from for a massive undertaking when the state is nearly belly up and the money pot for higher ed keeps dwindling...

In the last 20 years NIU has found ways to do all this (off the top of my head) in a time of significant cutbacks in state support:

Build New Hall and Northern View. Renovate Stevenson and Gilbert and upgrade Grant. Create that park by the west dorms, massively change the DuSable turnaround, do major work on the East Lagoon, and turn Altgeld into the amazing showpiece building it should be.

And that's without getting into the Barsema funded work or the student fee built Convo. And I'm sure there's other major work slipping my mind.

I see literally no reason to doubt NIU's capacity to do this over the long range being envisioned.

Have you been to Altgeld lately? It was completely renovated and is terrific, inside and out. The East Lagoon could use some dredging; it's pretty shallow. What's the problem with the DuSable turnaround?

(03-28-2014 02:58 PM)beachboy Wrote:  Have you been to Altgeld lately? It was completely renovated and is terrific, inside and out. The East Lagoon could use some dredging; it's pretty shallow. What's the problem with the DuSable turnaround?

Sorry if I wasn't clear- I was listing of things that have been accomplished. I could swear I remember dredging work done on the lagoon back in the late 90s.

(03-28-2014 03:15 PM)DogTracks Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 02:58 PM)beachboy Wrote:  Have you been to Altgeld lately? It was completely renovated and is terrific, inside and out. The East Lagoon could use some dredging; it's pretty shallow. What's the problem with the DuSable turnaround?

Sorry if I wasn't clear- I was listing of things that have been accomplished. I could swear I remember dredging work done on the lagoon back in the late 90s.

They were looking for William the Goose and Jimmy Hoffa

(03-28-2014 03:15 PM)DogTracks Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 02:58 PM)beachboy Wrote:  Have you been to Altgeld lately? It was completely renovated and is terrific, inside and out. The East Lagoon could use some dredging; it's pretty shallow. What's the problem with the DuSable turnaround?

Sorry if I wasn't clear- I was listing of things that have been accomplished. I could swear I remember dredging work done on the lagoon back in the late 90s.

Ya the lagoon was totally drained and cleaned out of the toxic sludge over the summer of 00 or 01. It actually took much more money than they planned because of how toxic it was.

Right now they are looking into deterring the geese and their crap from both lagoons so that the students use the area more without fear of getting attacked or getting messy.

I'll miss douglas, I did 2 years on a1 (122) and a year on, I think, d2 in the early 90's.

(03-28-2014 02:58 PM)beachboy Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 02:23 PM)DogTracks Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 12:54 PM)niucyberdawg Wrote:  I am still mystified as to where will all the money come from for a massive undertaking when the state is nearly belly up and the money pot for higher ed keeps dwindling...

__________________________________________________________________________________
MY REPLY :
Yes I was inside altgeld shortly after renovation was completed and it turned out great. I had quite a few classes there , mostly in Auditorium in the sixties. It was the PITS.

How long from the inspiration to completion did the project take while awaiting for the money/approval to make it happen?

Same will Gilbert. seemed like forever.

NIU will not be rebuilt in a day but in the decades to come.
__________________________________________________________________________________

In the last 20 years NIU has found ways to do all this (off the top of my head) in a time of significant cutbacks in state support:

Build New Hall and Northern View. Renovate Stevenson and Gilbert and upgrade Grant. Create that park by the west dorms, massively change the DuSable turnaround, do major work on the East Lagoon, and turn Altgeld into the amazing showpiece building it should be.

And that's without getting into the Barsema funded work or the student fee built Convo. And I'm sure there's other major work slipping my mind.

I see literally no reason to doubt NIU's capacity to do this over the long range being envisioned.

Have you been to Altgeld lately? It was completely renovated and is terrific, inside and out. The East Lagoon could use some dredging; it's pretty shallow. What's the problem with the DuSable turnaround?

(03-28-2014 03:20 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 03:15 PM)DogTracks Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 02:58 PM)beachboy Wrote:  Have you been to Altgeld lately? It was completely renovated and is terrific, inside and out. The East Lagoon could use some dredging; it's pretty shallow. What's the problem with the DuSable turnaround?

Sorry if I wasn't clear- I was listing of things that have been accomplished. I could swear I remember dredging work done on the lagoon back in the late 90s.

Ya the lagoon was totally drained and cleaned out of the toxic sludge over the summer of 00 or 01. It actually took much more money than they planned because of how toxic it was.

Right now they are looking into deterring the geese and their crap from both lagoons so that the students use the area more without fear of getting attacked or getting messy.

Put up some black wood cutouts of Huskie dogs and use black garbage bags for tails. Will keep the geese away. Kind of mystifying, but I've seen it work.

(03-28-2014 02:23 PM)DogTracks Wrote:  And that's without getting into the Barsema funded work or the student fee built Convo.

The Convo was definitely not a "student-fee" building. In no way, shape or form am I fan of Eddie Williams, but he pulled a lot strings, favors, and shifting of money, but the Convo did not become a reality with student fees.

(03-28-2014 06:34 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 02:23 PM)DogTracks Wrote:  And that's without getting into the Barsema funded work or the student fee built Convo.

The Convo was definitely not a "student-fee" building. In no way, shape or form am I fan of Eddie Williams, but he pulled a lot strings, favors, and shifting of money, but the Convo did not become a reality with student fees.

This article, at least, squares with what I remember:

"In 1999, NIU officials and the Illinois Board of Higher Education approved construction of the center, and NIU's Board of Trustees approved a student-activity fee increase, without a student vote, to fund the project."

(03-27-2014 08:34 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-26-2014 07:50 PM)DoubleHuskie84 Wrote:  

(03-26-2014 04:27 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  Here is a mock up with Douglas gone and Lucinda going thru to Stadium Drive West. *An at a boy goes to the first person who finds the other alteration*

The north patch of grass will eventually be a bus stop.

I dont know about you guys but I see a new donor parking lot for that south patch of grass...if we ever consistently fill the ones we have that is!

Hey, what'd you do with the "health" center?

That is still there but you are VERY close.

Looks like Wirtz hall has gone bye-bye!

(03-29-2014 01:29 AM)PDX Huskie Wrote:  

(03-27-2014 08:34 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-26-2014 07:50 PM)DoubleHuskie84 Wrote:  

(03-26-2014 04:27 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  Here is a mock up with Douglas gone and Lucinda going thru to Stadium Drive West. *An at a boy goes to the first person who finds the other alteration*

The north patch of grass will eventually be a bus stop.

I dont know about you guys but I see a new donor parking lot for that south patch of grass...if we ever consistently fill the ones we have that is!

Hey, what'd you do with the "health" center?

That is still there but you are VERY close.

Looks like Wirtz hall has gone bye-bye!

Yup. They are planning on putting in a new Gilbert hall where Wirtz is now. This is likely a project in the 5-10 year range but definitely after the new Computer/Health Info building is built...which has yet to be approved by the state.

Demolished....or allowed to fall down?

A1 Animals!

(03-29-2014 11:50 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  They are planning on putting in a new Gilbert hall where Wirtz is now. This is likely a project in the 5-10 year range but definitely after the new Computer/Health Info building is built...which has yet to be approved by the state.

And what has yet to be addressed is how are any of these grandiose ideas going to be paid for?
What is also disconcerting is the reality that every university president has stated some great plan and not one of them have been around to follow it through or see it completed. Almost beginning to think some of this needs to be done by an elite group of heads (College of Business, Engineering, etc.) or long-term faculty who can see the initial five-year plan lead into the 10-year plan which helps make the 15-year plan a reality and so on.
I'm not saying Baker's ideas are bad, but should he leave or get hired away, who's to say the next president doesn't decide to abandon some of these things or go a different direction. To some degree, that's how we've got the hodge-podge of building styles, etc. When you've been around NIU for four decades, you can remember new dorms being proposed on the old North Forty behind Anderson Hall, walking bridges over Annie Glidden, or tunnels under it; Gilbert was to be levelled at one time, now it's been gutted and renovated, and expanded in the future? Once again, don't misunderstand my intent, Wirtz is nothing special and won't be missed, but a genuine long-term plan has to be more than just the current president's vision.

(03-29-2014 08:53 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-29-2014 11:50 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  They are planning on putting in a new Gilbert hall where Wirtz is now. This is likely a project in the 5-10 year range but definitely after the new Computer/Health Info building is built...which has yet to be approved by the state.

And what has yet to be addressed is how are any of these grandiose ideas going to be paid for?
What is also disconcerting is the reality that every university president has stated some great plan and not one of them have been around to follow it through or see it completed. Almost beginning to think some of this needs to be done by an elite group of heads (College of Business, Engineering, etc.) or long-term faculty who can see the initial five-year plan lead into the 10-year plan which helps make the 15-year plan a reality and so on.
I'm not saying Baker's ideas are bad, but should he leave or get hired away, who's to say the next president doesn't decide to abandon some of these things or go a different direction. To some degree, that's how we've got the hodge-podge of building styles, etc. When you've been around NIU for four decades, you can remember new dorms being proposed on the old North Forty behind Anderson Hall, walking bridges over Annie Glidden, or tunnels under it; Gilbert was to be levelled at one time, now it's been gutted and renovated, and expanded in the future? Once again, don't misunderstand my intent, Wirtz is nothing special and won't be missed, but a genuine long-term plan has to be more than just the current president's vision.

I totally agree Baker NEEDS to show a 5yr and a 15yr plan on top of this 50yr plan.

The demolishing of Stevenson and rebuilding a new wing of Neptune is going to only account for the current students + the expected 800 bump from the 2 yr requirement. What happens if enrollment goes up?

Not a problem if enrollment goes up. Housing students should not be the sole responsibility of the university. There is an over-abundance of off campus apartment housing which is considerably less expensive than university housing.

(03-30-2014 07:57 AM)3OrangeWhips Wrote:  Not a problem if enrollment goes up. Housing students should not be the sole responsibility of the university. There is an over-abundance of off campus apartment housing which is considerably less expensive than university housing.

That is fine but as of 2015 NIU will require the students to live in the dorms for the first 2 years.

(03-30-2014 08:20 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 07:57 AM)3OrangeWhips Wrote:  Not a problem if enrollment goes up. Housing students should not be the sole responsibility of the university. There is an over-abundance of off campus apartment housing which is considerably less expensive than university housing.

That is fine but as of 2015 NIU will require the students to live in the dorms for the first 2 years.

Yes, I understand the new 2 year dorm housing requirement. My point is, if there isn't enough dorm housing to accommodate an enrollment increase, the university can release some students to live in off-campus housing, of which there is plenty.