HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > United States > Southeast


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #121  
Old Posted Dec 21, 2010, 2:49 AM
Electrical Porpoise's Avatar
Electrical Porpoise Electrical Porpoise is offline
---
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Mobile, AL
Posts: 549
atl, dont worry. if we need money - uncle richard can find some pork.


and thanks for the pictures, ttownfeen. great photos.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #122  
Old Posted Dec 22, 2010, 1:18 AM
SpawnOfVulcan's Avatar
SpawnOfVulcan SpawnOfVulcan is offline
Cat Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: America's Magic City
Posts: 3,855
Quote:
Originally Posted by atlanta68 View Post
I have been somewhat confused about these earmarks for UA. I read that article Feeno posted in the past, but have been hearing about Shelby's attempts to get another $30 million for UA in the latest Omnibus bill. From what I can gather, it looks like Shelby got $40 million for the Fourth Phase of the SEC in late 2009. He was trying to get another $30 million for that same final phase in the 2011 Omnibus Bill that Harry Reid withdrew. Thus, the fourth phase is mostly paid for, but that extra $30 million surely would have been appreciated by UA administration.

I wonder if a school is required to build a project once 40/70 of the project has been paid for? Even if the school says it cant afford selling bonds to finance the rest of the project? Does this put UA in a bind? I wonder if Shelby got more money overall for UA than AU, and if not, how was he able to be so blatantly pro UA?
If the school doesn't use the money, they just don't use it and it simply goes away, back to the Federal Government.

Senators get pork based on what people ask for. A senator doesn't just say "Hey!! I'm gonna get some money for UA!!" A big reason why UA has been getting more money is because of this Science and Engineering Complex. If it wasn't for the SEC then it's likely UA wouldn't be getting as much.

Shelby isn't blatantly pro UA, and he doesn't get more money for UA simply because he likes UA more. I mean, of course he does cause he went to school here, but he's actually been quite impartial. If you look at the projects that have been named after him across the state, it's obvious that it's not just UA he's been raking in the dough for.

Auburn has gotten a lot of money, as has USA, UAB, UAH, etc... All of the major research institutions in Alabama have some sort of project that has largely been funded by the pork he's brought home.
__________________
SSP Alabama Metros: Birmingham (City Compilation) - Huntsville - Mobile - Montgomery - Tuscaloosa - Daphne-Fairhope - Decatur

SSP Alabama Universities: Alabama - UAB - Alabama State
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #123  
Old Posted Dec 22, 2010, 6:33 PM
atlanta68 atlanta68 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 259
Yes, I know Shelby has delivered the pork to AU and other Alabama schools as well. However, from a cursory look at the total amount of earmark dollars going to UA vs. AU and other Alabama schools, Shelby's pro UA bias seems fairly clear. Just wonder how he has handled this politically with the various college administrators.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #124  
Old Posted Jan 17, 2011, 3:41 PM
atlanta68 atlanta68 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 259
Construction on Phase 4 of Science and Engineering Complex to begin this Spring

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/articl...t-construction

anyone have updated pics of phase 3?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #125  
Old Posted Feb 7, 2011, 6:30 PM
ttownfeen ttownfeen is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: By the Mounds
Posts: 395


UA system expects cut in state funding

Quote:
As well as budget cuts, the UA System board of trustees approved resolutions to enable four sororities to relocate to the proposed Magnolia Development behind the President’s Mansion.

Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Delta Pi, Delta Delta Delta and Delta Gamma will have each of their lots situated along Magnolia Drive, which will require the demolition of Wilson, Byrd, Parker-Adams and New Hall, according to the Office of Greek Affairs website.

A graphic that rendered the Alpha Gamma Delta house upon completion depicted a building that rivals the height of the President’s Mansion as seen from University Blvd., which incited trustees to question whether the sorority house would diminish the grandeur of the President’s Mansion.

Trustee James Wilson III said the construction of the sorority houses would lead to the clearing of trees behind the President’s Mansion, which could impair the singular focus given to the mansion from the perspective of University Blvd.

“Whenever you do any kind of construction, you’re going to lose some trees,” he said. “If the president is fine with it, I’m fine with it, but it’s a legitimate point.”

University President Robert Witt said he finds the Magnolia Development agreeable and that the University will work with the facilities department to restore the greenery behind the mansion.

“We’ve made a note to talk with our facilities department,” Witt said. “We will provide for landscaping that will restore for the attractiveness component that will be lost.”

Mike Lanier, vice president of Hoar Program Management who witnessed the meeting, said the board holds a concern for aesthetic appeal.

“[The board] wants to make sure that any new project fits in with the character and image of the University,” he said.

The board also approved resolutions related to the construction of the Phi Delta Theta house and Sigma Chi house to be located adjacent to the Pi Kappa Alpha house. Each house will cost $6,260,625 to construct.

The board also approved a resolution to continue with construction of an addition to the Science and Engineering Complex opposite Shelby Hall for a cost of $70 million. Students and the public will be able to see engineering activities in progress with the addition of a concourse perched above laboratory spaces.

“A key component of the design is to build interest in engineering by putting ‘engineering on display’ in a manner that will allow the activities in the laboratories to be easily observed by the students and public from a central concourse overlooking the main laboratory spaces,” according to the project summary of the building.

In addition, the board approved a resolution to continue construction of the seven-story North Bluff Residential Community that will overlook the Black Warrior River, provide 971 new residential beds and cost about $57 million , a reduction from the initial budget of about $66 million.

337 additional surface-parking spaces will come along with the building’s construction, according to the project summary of North Bluff.

The board also approved a resolution for the construction of an indoor tennis complex with six regulation NCAA hard courts to be housed south of the outdoor tennis complex existing on campus. The projected cost of the complex is $6 million.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #126  
Old Posted Feb 9, 2011, 12:05 AM
Electrical Porpoise's Avatar
Electrical Porpoise Electrical Porpoise is offline
---
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Mobile, AL
Posts: 549
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #127  
Old Posted Feb 13, 2011, 5:58 PM
Electrical Porpoise's Avatar
Electrical Porpoise Electrical Porpoise is offline
---
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Mobile, AL
Posts: 549
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #128  
Old Posted Feb 15, 2011, 3:48 PM
Bogue Bogue is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 187
Why are they relocating those sororities again?

Not exactly a fan of building right up on the President's Mansion. It's such an iconic bit of Alabama's campus. Screwing that up just to give some rich chicks a place to do their thing is a bit unnecessary... esp. given they already have houses. If they're building close enough to require the removal of trees then that's way too close. There have to be other places they could have located those. It's not like the UA's running out of land right now.

The architecture of that new building is really generic as well. The one great quality about the Greek system at the UA is that a lot of those houses showcase that Greek Revival architecture and that one's just not enough. Red brick, a black roof, & white trim? It's really just a suburban mcmansion on steroids.


I do like what they've done with Foster. What's the real capacity of it? One site says it used to seat 5400 and another says it seats 3800. That's probably a good seating capacity for the sports it houses either way for the forseeable future.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #129  
Old Posted Feb 15, 2011, 4:36 PM
SpawnOfVulcan's Avatar
SpawnOfVulcan SpawnOfVulcan is offline
Cat Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: America's Magic City
Posts: 3,855
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bogue View Post
Why are they relocating those sororities again?

Not exactly a fan of building right up on the President's Mansion. It's such an iconic bit of Alabama's campus. Screwing that up just to give some rich chicks a place to do their thing is a bit unnecessary... esp. given they already have houses. If they're building close enough to require the removal of trees then that's way too close. There have to be other places they could have located those. It's not like the UA's running out of land right now.

The architecture of that new building is really generic as well. The one great quality about the Greek system at the UA is that a lot of those houses showcase that Greek Revival architecture and that one's just not enough. Red brick, a black roof, & white trim? It's really just a suburban mcmansion on steroids.


I do like what they've done with Foster. What's the real capacity of it? One site says it used to seat 5400 and another says it seats 3800. That's probably a good seating capacity for the sports it houses either way for the forseeable future.
They aren't relocating them I believe. And if they are, they'll be using the old houses for a new sorority or something. The house really shouldn't detract from the Mansion, because it'll be set behind Little and Moore Halls as well as the Mansion.

Honestly, the University has enough land to do whatever it wants. And really, the space back there that they're gonna be building on would leave much room for a new educational building anyways.

The capacity of Foster is around 5000. It worked out really well for the women's game. It got quite loud in there.
__________________
SSP Alabama Metros: Birmingham (City Compilation) - Huntsville - Mobile - Montgomery - Tuscaloosa - Daphne-Fairhope - Decatur

SSP Alabama Universities: Alabama - UAB - Alabama State
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #130  
Old Posted Feb 19, 2011, 3:35 AM
Bogue Bogue is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 187
Thanks. DG, ADPi, & the tridelts all already have houses.

Anyway, it does seem strange that the school's spent the last 50 years moving the greeks over to the New Row area but they're now opening more Sorority houses in that warren of winding alleyways right near the stadium. It just doesn't seem like a very good idea to me. They used to put a ton of freshman girls in Tutwiler and that may have something to do w/ it if they still do, but that building's old & most of the new dorms are on the north side of campus now (closer to New Row).
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #131  
Old Posted Mar 1, 2011, 4:03 PM
SpawnOfVulcan's Avatar
SpawnOfVulcan SpawnOfVulcan is offline
Cat Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: America's Magic City
Posts: 3,855
At the dorm construction site next to Rose Towers: First of two cranes is erected, the second of the two is being erected as we speak.
__________________
SSP Alabama Metros: Birmingham (City Compilation) - Huntsville - Mobile - Montgomery - Tuscaloosa - Daphne-Fairhope - Decatur

SSP Alabama Universities: Alabama - UAB - Alabama State
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #132  
Old Posted Apr 7, 2011, 6:18 PM
bamastu13 bamastu13 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Huntsville, Tuscaloosa
Posts: 61
Quote:
Originally Posted by tredici View Post
At the dorm construction site next to Rose Towers: First of two cranes is erected, the second of the two is being erected as we speak.
Both cranes are up and they are making quick progress getting the structural columns poured. Its going to be a pretty massive place.

Does anyone have any renderings of what it might look like when it is done?

Also, does anyone know when they are going to start work on the new UAPD station? They have started to tear down the dorms behind the President's mansion so its only a matter of time before they will be ready to tear down the current station.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #133  
Old Posted Apr 27, 2011, 10:51 PM
Matthew's Avatar
Matthew Matthew is offline
Fourth and Main
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Johns Creek, GA (Atlanta)
Posts: 3,128
Editing to add a video. A tornado was close to campus and you can see the stadium. Again, I hope no one is hurt. The storms in Alabama today are extremely severe.

http://www.twitvid.com/4W6PU

Last edited by Matthew; Apr 28, 2011 at 12:22 AM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #134  
Old Posted Apr 28, 2011, 7:01 AM
SpawnOfVulcan's Avatar
SpawnOfVulcan SpawnOfVulcan is offline
Cat Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: America's Magic City
Posts: 3,855
The university was spared. The heart of the city, though has been obliterated. Please pray.
__________________
SSP Alabama Metros: Birmingham (City Compilation) - Huntsville - Mobile - Montgomery - Tuscaloosa - Daphne-Fairhope - Decatur

SSP Alabama Universities: Alabama - UAB - Alabama State
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #135  
Old Posted Jun 5, 2011, 5:02 AM
atlanta68 atlanta68 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 259
New Aerial Photographs of SEC Phase 3 and renderings for Phase 4

http://eng.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads...spring2011.pdf

This link takes one to the latest issue of the Capstone Engineer. On pages 26-29, it has aerial views of the Science and Engineering Complex Phase Three, and new renderings of Phase 4. Phase Three Opens in January of 2012. Phase Four opens in Summer of 2013.

I figured it was time for some good news again on this forum.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #136  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2011, 5:59 PM
ttownfeen ttownfeen is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: By the Mounds
Posts: 395
Highlights:

*A new NOAA water research facility is being constructed on campus. A new national research facility at UA is a testament to the growing prestige of the university.

Quote:
UA Vice President for Research Joe Benson said Thursday that the center will be a central location for the NOAA that will coordinate the efforts of a number of organizations doing water research and monitoring.

“The federal government actually has 24 different agencies that do water-related research,” Benson said. “The opportunity for us here is to collaborate with the individuals from these agencies to carry out the research we at UA are doing on water issues here in the Southeast.”

...

[Trustees approved] the center’s triangular, domed design. Benson said the 50,000-square-foot building is expected to be completed by early 2014 and will cost between $16 million and $18 million to construct.

The construction will be paid for by NOAA, which is leasing the property from UA. Benson said the NOAA has just under $25 million set aside for the total project budget.
*The UA System will move out their current offices in a nondescript building on Queen City Ave next to the University Club and into a new $8 million 33,000 sq. ft structure to be built on the corner of 5th Ave E and University Blvd (Please rename 5th Ave E already, BOT. The portion south from University Blvd. to 15th St. was already renamed by the city as Dr. Earl Hilliard Drive.)

I'm assuming this new headquarters building will go on the northeast side of the intersection, which is currently vacant lot. The lot may not be big enough, in which case I'll assume they'll tear down the office buildings which sit next to the lot (all of that corner is university-land, the southwest and southeast corners are not).

Other projects include:
  • A new mini student center for the north side of campus, near the new North Bluff housing community
  • A new expansion of the catholic student center on campus
  • Two new GLO houses
  • A new research building to connect the College of Engineering's Student Projects Building with the College of Arts and Sciences Foundry

UA to build center for water research

Last edited by ttownfeen; Jun 17, 2011 at 9:15 PM. Reason: Yeah, it's 5th Ave E, not 5th St E
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #137  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2011, 7:26 PM
SpawnOfVulcan's Avatar
SpawnOfVulcan SpawnOfVulcan is offline
Cat Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: America's Magic City
Posts: 3,855
I'm assuming you mean 5th Ave, the street that runs between the tennis stadium and the rec?
__________________
SSP Alabama Metros: Birmingham (City Compilation) - Huntsville - Mobile - Montgomery - Tuscaloosa - Daphne-Fairhope - Decatur

SSP Alabama Universities: Alabama - UAB - Alabama State
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #138  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2011, 9:16 PM
ttownfeen ttownfeen is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: By the Mounds
Posts: 395
Yes, that's right.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #139  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2011, 10:33 PM
bamastu13 bamastu13 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Huntsville, Tuscaloosa
Posts: 61
Don't forget even more tuition hikes!!
There's so much construction going on around campus this summer, it's crazy!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #140  
Old Posted Jun 18, 2011, 4:56 AM
atlanta68 atlanta68 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 259
any one care to show pics of the construction?
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > United States > Southeast
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 10:33 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.