NT's new plan for expansion of facilities

[OldTimer]

Article has pictures outling where the expansion is to be. Go to Yahoo, then DRC to view entire article with pictures.

New plan to expand campus unveiled

08/24/2002

By Matthew Zabel / Staff Writer

The University of North Texas wants to expand its borders south and west to increase its facilities by 50 percent, officials said Friday.

DRC/Stacey Cooper

UNT hopes to buy property along Interstate 35E at North Texas Boulevard as part of its master plan for expansion.

The UNT Board of Regents saw an updated master plan that shows the university?s plans for land acquisition and growth in the coming years.

"You need to take a snapshot every couple years," said Peter Giglio, the university?s architect and one of the main authors of the plan. "It tries to give an idea of what your campus will look like in 15 or 20 years, but it?s very fluid, always changing."

UNT drafted its original master plan in 1998, and since 1999, has bought 24 properties. The updated plan shows those property acquisitions and newly finished construction projects.

It also extends the campus? future boundary on the south and west sides and includes plans to buy about 80 acres along Interstate 35W, an area UNT officials say is prime property because it is so close to where Interstate 35E and Interstate 35W join.

The university also hopes to buy property along Interstate 35E at North Texas Boulevard, where businesses are located.

Mr. Giglio said the most notable change from the 1998 master plan is the UNT Commons, a landscaped walkway from the UNT Gateway Center on North Texas Boulevard to the UNT Administration Building in the center of campus.

"This really does give us a growth path," said Norval Pohl, UNT?s president. "We?re excited about the area we?d like to grow into. Now it?s out there, and people can see what our plan is."

In a presentation to the board, Richard Rafes, vice chancellor and vice president for administrative affairs, showed the 11 properties that UNT has bought since Sept. 1, including seven apartment complexes, one house, the former Texas Instruments plant and Liberty Christian School.

Mr. Rafes said one important goal is to keep as much of the university as possible within 10 minutes walking distance from the center of campus.

The new plan includes five parking garages and several more parking lots to help address the increased traffic on campus.

The Board of Regents is expected to approve the updated master plan Saturday.

MATTHEW ZABEL can be reached at 940-381-9664.