746 replies to this topic

[wrldcoupe4]

Since VCU has been on a construction blitzkrieg lately, I thought we could start a forum about everything going on there. For starters:

PROJECT: Brandt Hall

PROJECTED OPENING: Fall 2005

CONSTRUCTION BY: W.M. Jordan Company

LOCATION: 710 W. Franklin St at the corner of Laurel and West Franklin streets and the site of the former Rhoads Hall West Wing low-rise.

BUILDING FEATURES AND SERVICES: When completed, VCU’s Rhoads Hall II will be a new 17-story high-rise residence hall that will provide 640 new beds for freshmen and sophomores in suite style configurations. The $28 million project will feature rooms designed to accommodate double occupancy that will include furniture, a sink and mirror in the bedroom space as well as a shared connecting bathroom to another room. The suites also will be arranged so that four or eight students can share a common living room.

The main entrance to Rhoads Hall II will open to the new community of Rhoads East and Rhoads West. A central service desk and mailroom will serve both towers. The first floor of Rhoads Hall II also will have a computer lab, multipurpose activity space and laundry room with a connected study and TV lounge.

PROJECT COST: $28 million

here is a rendering of the new brandt hall, which connects to the original Rhoads Hall:



Another project currently going on at MCV's campus is:

PROJECT: VCU Massey Cancer Center

PROJECTED OPENING: Spring/Summer 2005

LOCATION: 301 College St., located at the site of the former Randolph-Minor Annex.

BUILDING FEATURES AND SERVICES: The new, state-of-the-art 60,000 square foot addition for research will nearly double the size of the existing VCU Massey Cancer Center, which was completed in 1981. The addition also will allow the cancer center to expand the type of research it conducts as well as attract and retain top cancer researchers.

The VCU Massey Cancer Center is one of only two National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers in Virginia and only one of 61 in the United States.

This expansion of the Massey Cancer Center is expected to cost $28.5 million



----Info and renderings can be found here: VCU construction

[wrldcoupe4]

I really like the way Brandt hall is turning out. It borrows a lot from some of the surrounding architecture. Here are some links to some pictures of Brandt Hall taken by Ryan Ramsey of RCW in march:

Brandt Hall RCW #1
Brandt Hall RCW #2

[wrldcoupe4]

Richmond.com article on the new Brandt Residential tower. Hopefully, VCU will continue to build UP and not OUT.

On the Rise
VCU currently houses about 4,600 students on its Monroe Park campus

Matthew Philips/Richmond.com
Twin towers: Brandt Hall, left, rises alongside Rhoads Hall.

Matthew Philips Richmond.com
Tuesday, May 03, 2005

To look out across the landscape of Richmond these days is to see a city awash in construction. The skyline of high-rises and church steeples is now complemented by a seemingly equal amount of cranes and scaffolding.

As such, in the coming weeks and months, Richmond.com will embark on a series of profiles of many of Richmond's most notable construction projects. First up: Brandt Hall. The 17-story dorm is Virginia Commonwealth University's latest construction project in its endeavor to build out the Monroe Park campus.

Project: Brandt Hall

Cost: $28 million

Square feet: 160,000

Location: 710 W. Franklin St.

Start date: April 2004

End date: August 2005

General Contractor: W.M. Jordan

Perhaps you've noticed it - the 17-story building which has rocketed up from the intersection of West Franklin and Laurel Streets during the last year, and now looms large over Monroe Park, standing side-by-side with the 18-story Rhoads Hall. Until now, the circa-1960s Rhoads was VCU's newest high-rise dorm. The school's oldest, the medieval inspired 12-story Johnson Hall, was built in 1915 and stands cattycorner from Rhoads up the street on West Franklin.

But now with Brandt, there's a new kid on the block. He's bigger, taller, though only slightly, and - depending on your architectural palette - prettier. Brandt's red-brick façade topped proudly by a handsome VCU insignia offers a more pleasant contrast to the bland uniformity of Rhoads, and the dark and weathered appearance of Johnson. Eleven floors of bay windows, four columns wide, will give Brandt occupants 180-degree views of Monroe Park, as well as the Downtown skyline looking east and the leafy stretch of West Franklin looking west.

The new residence hall will house 640 VCU freshmen who will begin moving in on Aug. 20. Sixteen floors of living space will consist of a mix of four and eight-people suites, with adjoining bathrooms and furnished common-areas. Bedrooms will accommodate two students each. Rooms will be outfitted with desks, chairs, lofted beds, and dressers which will fit soundly underneath, allowing for the maximum amount of open floor space. Suites will also be wired with high-speed broadband Internet connections.

The lower entranceway of Brandt Hall will connect to Rhoads, and a central service desk and mailroom will serve both towers. The first floor of Brandt will have a computer lab, multipurpose activity space and laundry room with a connected study and TV lounge. As is the case with Johnson and Rhoads, Brandt will be a co-ed dorm, but floors will be designated male and female........article

Some small images from richmond.com:

[eandslee]

Here's news and a rendering of the new nursing school building to be built in downtown Richmond:

Article

[burt]

If you guys want "up-beat", read today's RTD report of the VCU graduation address at a jam-packed Coliseum delivered by Richard T. "Dick" Robertson, President of Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.  (Obviously, I don't know how to cut and paste these things).

[eandslee]

burt, on May 22 2005, 08:20 AM, said:

If you guys want "up-beat", read today's RTD report of the VCU graduation address at a jam-packed Coliseum delivered by Richard T. "Dick" Robertson, President of Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.  (Obviously, I don't know how to cut and paste these things).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I read that article and it was great!  Here's a link to the article:

Article

[burt]

Yep, there's that "Log IN" thing again.  But I was able to read it because the story was on today's RTD "teaser".

[burt]

AND THE BIG BUCKS COME POURING IN.....

It was announced in today's RTD that William and Alice Goodwin have given $32.5Million for the School of Engineering to be built on the new VCU Monroe Park Campus Addition.  Over the last 15 years, the Goodwins have donated almost $75Million to VCU, which includes today's announced gift.  

This is on top of $10Million donated by Steven and Katherine Markel about three months ago to the new School of Business which will be connected to the Engineering school on the new campus.

Construction is expected to begin in the Fall, and completion will be 2007.  

Edited by burt, 27 May 2005 - 04:17 PM.

[wrldcoupe4]

VCU is getting some mega donations. I think its reputation will grow and improve. It also improves the urbanscapes around its campus. As long as VCU doesnt purchase the city and make it one massive campus, it's definitely an asset to downtown and the region. All of this money will only make it a better school! I wouldnt have minded if the Goodwin's gave me 1% of their donation

[burt]

I'm not qualifying VCU's land-takeover except to say there's more of it that I wouldn't mind seeing. The new campus will be a virtual rebirth in Monroe Ward.  The west side of Belvidere, practically all of Grace from Jefferson Street to Ryland and bits and pieces of the south side of Broad could, IMO, benefit from more VCU TLC.

I wouldn't mind a little personal contribution from the big givers, either, Coupe (LOL)!  But I'd rather they gave it to VAPAF.

[wrldcoupe4]

VCU breaks ground on new Nursing School

VCU broke ground yesterday on its new 4-story $17 million state of the art nursing school. It is expected to be completed in 2007 and will allow for growth in enrollment to accomodate future demand in nursing. The currrent enrollment is about 800.

[burt]

Dr. Jerome F Strauss, III, of the University of Pennsylvania has been named new Dean of VCU School of Medicine.  He will assume the post as of Sept. 15th.

From a story in today's RTD.

Edited by burt, 15 June 2005 - 09:36 AM.

[wrldcoupe4]

VCU Medical Center is supposed to begin construction soon on a new 15-story critical care center. It will be attached to the north side of the hospital. The roof will have supports for a future helipad and the building will come in at over 350,000 sf

[Downtowner]

Sounds great Wrldcoupe

[burt]

Sometimes the lead-in to a newspaper story can mask some real goodies!  Take for instance today's report in the RTD by staff writer (the headline is not her fault) Dena Sloan titled "A Mixed Blessing".  Who would have thought gold nuggets of development information would have been contained therein?  But there it was; juicy items about VCU's new campus.

The 10.8 acre site bounded by Belvidere, Adams, Main and Canal streets already has bulldozers buzzing around.  Most of the land is parking lots with a few low rise buildings here and there.  Property owners have been paid market value and "all have willingly sold their land".  Not to say there were no misgivings (thus, the "Mixed Blessing" tag).  Some of the displaced businesses are relocating to Manchester.

The $204M expansion will include student housing, new Engineering and Business Schools and renovation of the old Central Belting Building on South Jefferson Street (between Cary and Canal) into a sparkling new home for VCU's World-famous Ad Center, and an 800 car parking garage somewhere on the property.

The garage, and the Bussiness and Engineering Schools should be completed in 2007, while the entire project will be on line in 4 years.  

Edited by burt, 02 July 2005 - 06:41 AM.

[wrldcoupe4]

wow burt good find about the the new campus expansion!

[burt]

wrldcoupe4, on Jul 2 2005, 10:30 AM, said:

wow burt good find about the the new campus expansion!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wish I knew how to move THIS posting to VCU thread.

[burt]

According to Eugene Trani, head honcho at VCU, the University had its best fiscal year fund-raising success ever ending June 30, 2005.  A total of $82M was added to the coffers bringing the total to $282M of the $330M hoped for by 6/30/07.  The Massey Cancer Research Center; the new Nursing School, and development in the new Monroe Addition campus are beneficiaries of this windfall.  And if I may add my comment, the City of Richmond is equally rewarded.

[Downtowner]

Has anyone heard anything about this but my dads good friend from work is going to school at VCU and he told my dad that VCU is building a new school of business is this really happening.

[burt]

Downtowner, on Jul 14 2005, 04:09 PM, said:

Has anyone heard anything about this but my dads good friend from work is going to school at VCU and he told my dad that VCU is building a new school of business is this really happening.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, Joey, it certainly is going to happen.  This forum is full of news about the new campus called VCU Monroe Campus Addition.  It is bounded by Belvidere on the west, Main on the north, Adams on the east and the Downtown expressway on the south and will include new Engineering and Business Schools as well as student housing, a large parking deck and the VCU Ad Center.  Go to earlier pages in this VCU thread and you'll learn everything you will want to know about it.

Edited by burt, 14 July 2005 - 03:35 PM.