ODU Development

[mikeas]

Construction pictures of the District at ODU. Sorry for the quality these are quick rolling by pictures.

from 38th St.

from Killam Ave.

[supernoga]

The upscale facility will serve both Old Dominion University and the nearby East Virginia Medical School. Units will be furnished and will include a washer/dryer, with single, double, triple and quadruple-bed options for students. Amenities include a pool, computer lab, fitness center and recreation area.

Doubt many students from EVMS will want to go back to dorm life...kinda of an older crowd who already have student apts right across from hospital. Also, ample housing in ghent that is relatively affordable.

Also, Im happy ODU is trying to be less of a commuter school, but they sure are building a lot of dorms all at once. I wonder if the demand is truly there.

[jeffconn]

Doubt many students from EVMS will want to go back to dorm life...kinda of an older crowd who already have student apts right across from hospital. Also, ample housing in ghent that is relatively affordable.

Also, Im happy ODU is trying to be less of a commuter school, but they sure are building a lot of dorms all at once. I wonder if the demand is truly there.

I would guess that the ODU underclassmen will do the dorm thing, and "graduate" to renting a house in the area. Dorm life sucks, especially in a room with 3 other guys. I could only take one year with a roomie. There are a lot of houses around here that are renting exclusively to ODU students, so i don't see much of a change in the area.

Also, EVMS is too far away from this development. The EVMS students will rent in that area.

[cpeakesqr]

I ran across this website the other day. It has pictures of library additions that are supposed to start in January. They're call it the Learning Commons... Looks like two additions, a small one on the front and a larger one on the back.

Front addition interior layout

Front exterior

Back exterior

[mlsimons]

Doubt many students from EVMS will want to go back to dorm life...kinda of an older crowd who already have student apts right across from hospital. Also, ample housing in ghent that is relatively affordable.

Also, Im happy ODU is trying to be less of a commuter school, but they sure are building a lot of dorms all at once. I wonder if the demand is truly there.

The demand is definitely there. Each year ODU gets more applicants than the year before. Even when the Quad buildings were opening up, we had to be put on long waiting list and apply a year in advance, and no promises were ever made, and still some had to stay in hotels for while. The new dorms have all had a snowball effect on the desirability to live on campus. And each new dorm is being built nicer than the next. I remember the village almost never had a vacancy, and they were double and tripling students in the quad.

I really like the density with the district, looks like its going to be 5 stories (I didn't check with the rendering yet). Also they will have a pool!!!!!!

Edited October 28, 2009 by mlsimons

[mlsimons]

The new library will do great things for the design of the campus. It will reduce the setbacks on the front, back and side and bring a more urban form to the campus. Also it will prepare the enormous asphalt parking lot for closure and transformation...which I haven't heard officially, but one day it will happen. The question is, what will they do with the site?

I would like to see a mid rise, mixed-use 24-hour complex with student housing above and lecture halls & specialized dining below. That's the element that ODU is missing, it isn't truly a 24-hour campus. The dorms are, but the campus is not. Students need to be living less than 100 feet from the library (much like VCU), which would make the campus livable and student friendly. Oh, and the internal campus needs to be a car-free area!!!!!!

I think this is the direction ODU is going, but it may take 10 more years to get there. I'm still amazed at how far ODU has come in the last 10 years!

-the village, Ted constant convocation, foreman field, the quad, new bookstore, innovation research park, 4 new parking garages, new marriott hotel, new dental hygiene building, new fitness center complex, new tennis complex, new practice football field, lamberts point golf course, new soccer field, new horticulture/greenhouse, new physics addition, wrestling center, etc!!

[mikeas]

The new dorms in "The District" have three tower cranes up. (mini tower cranes)

Buildings are going up between 38th and 39th and 39th and 40th. It looks like the building on 40th is being built to allow an extension of the current University Village road.

[varider]

That's great. That neighborhood is becoming much more dense thanks to ODU. As ODU grows, it will continue to swallow up Hampton Blvd. and continue to support the flourishing retail that's sprouted up in the Village.

[oduengineer]

Does anyone know if the district will wipe out the actual streets between 38th and 43rd?

I'm also wondering about the time frame for completion. They haven't really touched anything close to the University Villiage or Hampton Blvd. A few of the apartments and businesses close to ODU are still occupied. Supposedly some (or all) of it will be open in June, but they still need to tear down several businesses and apartment complexes.

[cpeakesqr]

Does anyone know if the district will wipe out the actual streets between 38th and 43rd?

I'm also wondering about the time frame for completion. They haven't really touched anything close to the University Villiage or Hampton Blvd. A few of the apartments and businesses close to ODU are still occupied. Supposedly some (or all) of it will be open in June, but they still need to tear down several businesses and apartment complexes.

No, those streets will remain, and the project doesn't go anywhere near 43rd street. The larger part of the project is located between 38th and 39th, with a smaller part located between 39th and 40th. This project is kinda isolated until the actual Village expands that way.

[ronsmytheiii]

With the maglev train that sat idle for years removed from the elevated guideway at Old Dominion University, the unfinished stairway that was the start of a passenger station met the wrecking ball last week. ODU and its magnetic levitation research team are preparing for the next phase of developing a working vehicle that they hope one day will revolutionize urban travel. Maglev uses magnets to float a train over elevated tracks.

Testing will begin on campus this year on another maglev vehicle, this one the size of a van or small bus, through a partnership first announced two years ago with Massachusetts-based MagneMotion Inc. The project received a $7.9 million federal grant with more than $700,000 going to ODU for its role.

"We've positioned ourselves as a center for maglev research," said Thomas E. Alberts, an aerospace engineering professor and leader of ODU's maglev research. "A project like this brings funds to the university, which keeps our maglev operation healthy. It also allows us to build on the knowledge that we've acquired here at ODU."

I never understood having a maglev system at ODU for a transit system, the campus really is not that big and easy to travel by foot, but it fits nicely as a research tool.

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/01/odus-stalled-maglev-gears-next-phase

[varider]

It'd be kind of coool to have been able to have maglev from the part of Campus where the current section is at past Forman Field, to the Ted, and through University Village..

[rusthebuss]

I never understood having a maglev system at ODU for a transit system, the campus really is not that big and easy to travel by foot, but it fits nicely as a research tool.

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/01/odus-stalled-maglev-gears-next-phase

ODU never asked for it. American Maglev said that they would build it for free as a test bed and a benefit for the University. Also, the way the University is expanding, it looks like its going to push to be a good size campus

[Sky06]

I don't know if this has been posted before, but it gives an overview with renderings of the Central Hampton Blvd improvement area. This is a very ambitious and long-range plan that could easily serve as a model for the rest of HR. this is what we mean by improving neighborhoods, making communities livable and walkable, etc. Click here for plan. Revision dtd 1 Feb. Courtesy of norfolk.gov. Some quotes:

"A walkable university district that brings the ODU community and the larger community together around expanded retail, housing, entertainment, and recreation options."

"New housing that offers more lifestyle choices, frames improved walking streets connecting existing neighborhoods, and respects traditional neighborhood scale."

"A new park drawing neighborhoods together and creating a setting for new

housing—in place of incompatible existing industrial uses."

"Inviting destinations and pedestrian environment linking the study area to Ghent and

other adjacent neighborhoods."

"Colley Avenue improved as a walkable neighborhood spine with distinctive retail areas, park access and new housing."

"A mix of higher-value housing, retail and commercial uses reviving lower Colley Avenue as a signature neighborhood center and entrance point."

"Implement the Hampton Boulevard Improvement Project to improve through traffic flow, turns, pedestrian crossings, recreational mobility and commercial parcel access."

"Create a network of on- and offstreet bike and multiuse paths to add new recreational opportunities and encourage more walking, biking and transit usage instead of driving for everyday transportation."

"Build planned multiuse path along Hampton Boulevard linking to the Elizabeth River Trail network."

"Create distinctive entrances from Ghent on Colley Avenue and on Hampton Boulevard."

"Create a public park that serves as a unifying centerpiece for the entire planning area, using industrial land that will be transformed for public and residential use."

"Encourage neighborhoodoriented retail, such as a supermarket, in the southern phase of University Village."

"Protect neighborhoods from impacts of traffic and adjacent higher-density development. Preserve and enhance the existing sidewalk network, street trees and other valuable streetscape elements."

Edited February 6, 2010 by Sky06

[jeffconn]

I doubt that plan will go on, now that they can't condemn whole neighborhoods like they did to make the Ted and ODU Village. And what do they have against the welding place? It was there long before ODU's dreams of taking over all the nearby neighborhoods.

[Sky06]

From the Big Blue Club:

FRIDAY, FEB. 19, 2010

Dr. Camden Wood Selig named Athletic Director at Old Dominion University

NORFOLK, Va. – Camden Wood Selig, athletic director at Western Kentucky University, has been named the new director of athletics for Old Dominion University, President John R. Broderick announced today. Selig, who will succeed retiring athletic director Jim Jarrett, will be introduced at a news conference on campus Friday, Feb. 26.

A native of Norfolk, Selig (pronounced SEE-lig) has spent the past 11 years directing the Hilltopper program, which has won 65 Sun Belt Conference championships since 2000 and a national- record 19 crowns over the past two years. He was a key figure in garnering support for the WKU football program’s move from NCAA Division I-AA to I-A in 2007, and he spearheaded more than $100 million in new construction and renovations of Hilltopper facilities.

“Our athletic program, under Jim Jarrett, has enjoyed incredible success over the last decades,” noted Broderick “The appointment of Dr. Selig ensures that we will not only maintain that success, but also provide our program with the direction it needs to continue to grow and prosper. His experience as a strong fundraiser, along with his personnel and business leadership abilities and his background in sales and marketing, made him a solid choice for our search committee.

“I would like to thank the committee members for their time and effort in conducting a successful search that ultimately recommended Dr. Selig.”

Selig’s appointment concludes a several-months-long national process by the search committee, chaired by Vice President of Development Alonzo Brandon. Committee members included: President Emeritus and Board of Visitors Professor of Economics James V. Koch, Board of Visitors members Marc Jacobson and Barry Kornblau, Intercollegiate Foundation trustee Carlton Bennett, Vice President for Human Resources Glenda Humphreys, NCAA Faculty Representative Janis Sanchez-Hucles and Senior Associate Athletic Director Debbie White.

Prior to arriving at WKU, Selig spent 11 years at the University of Virginia, the last five as associate athletics director for external operations. He began his athletics career in 1985 at Virginia Commonwealth University as an assistant athletic director and director of ticket operations. A graduate of Norfolk Collegiate School, Selig grew up in Norfolk less than a half mile from the ODU campus.

“My family and I cannot wait to join the Old Dominion family and play an active role in the continual and rapid transformation of the university and ODU athletics,” said Selig. “We sincerely thank President Broderick and the many members of the search committee for the confidence they have shown in me via this appointment.”

Since his arrival on the WKU campus, the Hilltoppers have been a mainstay atop the Vic Bubas standings, which ranks the Sun Belt schools based on their finish in the conference’s 19 sports. WKU has claimed four Bubas Cups (2002, 2003, 2006 and 2008) and finished no less than second over the last eight years. The Hilltoppers have also won more individual Sun Belt academic honors than any other league school over the last five years, and every men’s and women’s athletic team currently exceeds the NCAA-required 925 Academic Progress Rate.

Under Selig’s leadership, the WKU athletic budget grew from $5.6 million in 1999-2000 to more than $18.5 million in 2009-10. He has directed fundraising projects that have resulted in a $5 million naming rights gift, eight endowed scholarships for women’s basketball and four consecutive annual fund drives exceeding $1 million each. Private giving to athletics grew to more than $2 million per year during his tenure.

Capital projects for facilities under Selig’s watch included a $50 million football stadium renovation and expansion, a $33 million renovation to the basketball arena, $3 million in baseball facility renovations, $2.5 million toward a track and field complex and the opening of a Student Athlete Success Center, featuring computer labs, breakout rooms and study areas for WKU student athletes.

“In recent years, while tracking ODU athletics from hundreds of miles away, I could literally feel the excitement and energy level surrounding it reach an entirely different plateau with the introduction of football,” Selig said. “This heightened level of energy and support surrounding ODU athletics was very appealing to me personally and professionally. Coupled with the numerous nationally recognized men's and women's intercollegiate athletic programs, the future for ODU athletics is exceptionally vibrant. I look forward to building upon what Jim Jarrett and the thousands of successful coaches and student-athletes representing ODU over the decades have established as a rock-solid foundation for our future at ODU.”

Selig is a current member of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Committee and has served as chair for both the Sun Belt Conference Athletic Directors and the Men’s Basketball Committees during his tenure at WKU. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Washington and Lee University, a master’s in sports administration from Ohio University and a doctorate in education leadership from the University of Virginia.

Selig will receive a three-year contract with ODU, and an annual salary of $250,000, beginning June 10.

Selig and his wife, Ellen, have three children, Lex, 12, Nick, 10, and Julianna, 6.

Here’s what people are saying about Dr. Wood Selig

Craig Littlepage, athletic director University of Virginia

“Wood Selig is a creative thinker who puts himself in a position to learn something every day that will help his program and the institution. He is an innovative administrator who will build on the foundation of integrity at ODU. Furthermore, he’ll bring energy and fresh ideas to the athletics director’s position at Old Dominion. His familiarity with the Hampton Roads region will provide him with an advantage from the start and it’s hard for me to think of a better person to lead the ODU athletics program.”

Tom Yeager, CAA Commissioner

“I have known Wood for many years and he is recognized as a leader among his peers for his innovative programs, sound management style and his tireless support for student-athletes. He is the perfect hire for ODU”.

Bruce Hornsby – Recording artist

“Wood Selig’s coming home to be the athletic director at ODU is one of the best things to happen to the university and community as he knows the Hampton Roads scene so well. I’ve known Wood since his days at the University of Virginia and know he will bring great energy to this job.”

Doug Woolard, athletic director University of South Florida

“Old Dominion is very, very fortunate to have recruited one of the top, bright young athletic administrators in the country for its athletic director position. What Wood has done at Western Kentucky certainly deserves a great deal of credit as he moved that program forward by leaps and bounds.”

Dan Shoemaker, Vice President Collegiate Development, ESPN/ESPN regional TV

“I have known Wood through our association with WKU and the Sun Belt Conference and found him to be a very aggressive negotiator and a bright administrator. This is a great, great hire for ODU.”

Sue Donohoe, Vice President NCAA Div. I Women’s Basketball

“I have worked with Wood for four years as a member of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. He is a man of vision and energy and has the ability to look at the big picture and affect change. He has worked hard for the good of game on our committee and is a great fit at Old Dominion.”

Jim Jarrett, retiring athletic director, Old Dominion University

“I feel very good about the selection of Wood Selig as athletic director and am confident in his abilities to keep the ODU athletic program moving in a positive direction. I look forward to working with him during this transition period.”

Dr. Wood Selig …………..

“Growing up in the shadows of the campus, I can remember watching many talented student-athletes and great men's and women's basketball teams regularly play to packed crowds in the Field House. I also enjoyed ODU baseball games and practices after school at the Larchmont Elementary field before biking home. I was always thrilled whenever I might see these same student-athletes out in the community and impressed with how approachable they were. I know firsthand what a tremendous impact ODU athletes and athletics can and does have on the youth and families of this area. We will continue to fill the role of being exceptional role models for the young boys and girls in our community by being visible and fielding a well run program in which our community can take considerable pride in supporting.”

“Championship facilities attract championship student-athletes and coaches. From my observations, ODU has been able to construct some exceptional athletic facilities while also enjoying tremendous support from students, alumni, friends, and corporate partners. Few programs nationally can claim such visible and financial backing. We will certainly want and need to continue to grow and expand our footprint of support for all Monarch programs if we are to continue to enjoy success on the playing field and in the classroom.”

“It will be imperative for everyone associated with ODU athletics to give a "Championship Effort" if we are to maintain the high level of national success we all desire from our ODU intercollegiate athletic programs. It is with great pride and enthusiasm that I join the Monarch ranks. I cannot wait to get started.”

Edited February 20, 2010 by Sky06

[Sky06]

I doubt that plan will go on, now that they can't condemn whole neighborhoods like they did to make the Ted and ODU Village. And what do they have against the welding place? It was there long before ODU's dreams of taking over all the nearby neighborhoods.

This plan has nothing to do with condemning whole nieghborhoods. And it has to do with much more than ODU.

[cpeakesqr]

The District @ ODU now has a sky-bridge between the two components.

Also, found this development on the ODU homepage. Looks to be a small town house development along 43rd Street. Kinda odd looking in my opinion. It's like Victorian OBX cottage remix, confused suburban design as usual.

Edited March 3, 2010 by cpeakesqr

[mikeas]

Also, found this development on the ODU homepage. Looks to be a small town house development along 43rd Street. Kinda odd looking in my opinion. It's like Victorian OBX cottage remix, confused suburban design as usual.

I'd rather see traditional row houses but either way I'd say 50 residential units are better than parking lots.

[varider]

The District @ ODU now has a sky-bridge between the two components.

Also, found this development on the ODU homepage. Looks to be a small town house development along 43rd Street. Kinda odd looking in my opinion. It's like Victorian OBX cottage remix, confused suburban design as usual.

I actually think it's kind of coool

[vaceltic]

It looks awesome! CDCs rock too!!

[PeninsulaKiddo]

Thanks for posting the Central Hampton Blvd. Plan Sky06 -- ambitious and long-term, indeed. I would argue this is perhaps the most ambitious development program to date in Hampton Roads and it serves a community that is in transition and needs it. I wish NN developers would take a cue and develop a similar plan for the corridor stretching along Warwick Blvd. near CNU; they've been working on improving the streetscape for several years now, but as far as I know, there is no comprehensive, long-term plan to redevelop the area.

[urbanlife]

The District @ ODU now has a sky-bridge between the two components.

Also, found this development on the ODU homepage. Looks to be a small town house development along 43rd Street. Kinda odd looking in my opinion. It's like Victorian OBX cottage remix, confused suburban design as usual.

I think I puked in my mouth a little bit, that definitely looks like suburban townhouse garbage...I guess they couldnt find a competent architect to design this? (which is odd seeing so many actually good architects are currently unemployed.) Would it of killed them to stick to typical bland urban brick protocol? That would look much better than this.

Though it is good to see ODU growing, the Maglev always seemed like a dumb idea, but if the college didnt pay for it I wouldnt care either. But seriously, all this new technology in rail is great and all, but it seems like the technology that we have been using for the past few hundred years have been working just great. Norfolk is building a modern version of something that has been used for more than a century.

[calwinston]

ODU maybe building a wind tunnel in Danville, Virginia. The one they lease from NASA currently is set to be demolished. This would be great news and bring jobs for that part of the state that which has been hit hard from the shuttering of the textile industry.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_odu-wind-tunnel_0330mar30,0,3068894.story

[varider]

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/04/housing-authority-moves-take-more-land-odu-expansion

The city’s Redevelopment and Housing Authority has moved to take three more properties off Hampton Boulevard for the expansion of Old Dominion’s University Village.