Sunday, September 9, 2007

University of Memphis Announces Campus Expansion

Every great city is linked to one or more great universities. I happen to think that we're already there or knocking on the door of being a great American city and we're lucky to have the University of Memphis, Christian Brothers University, Tennessee - Medical Sciences Center and Rhodes College here. These are all critically important to the future of our city.

This past week, news broke about the University of Memphis announced plans for expansion of its existing campus. The full plans can be seen by going to the following:

http://bf.memphis.edu/cpd/mp/Master_Plan_Presentation_2006.pdf

In essence, the University will get approximately $7 million a year for the purpose of purchasing land to expand the current campus. The University will look to purchase land to the West of its current main campus to eventually push its campus all the way over to Highland Avenue. The new plans are specific, well thought out and exciting not only for the University but for the entire area around the University. the Highland Avenue strip has long been an off collection of businesses, restaurants and bars with no coherent plan to unify them. This new plan could be exactly what the area around the University needs to really take the University of Memphis and the area around it to a new level.

One of the most exciting things about the plan is its inclusion of new and improved University housing options including an honors student housing complex. One of the complaints that is often heard about the University of Memphis is that it feels less like a college campus and more like a commuter school. Some of that is just the reality of all urban universities but this plan should add real life to the University and bring and keep more people on campus even when classes are not in session.

The plans call for a realignment and upgrade of Central and for a pedestrian underpass under the railroad tracks. Both are sorely needed for safety and aesthetic reasons.

One thing missing from these plans is any area to build an on-campus football stadium. The inclusion of such a stadium would have taken an already fantastic and exciting plan and made it almost perfect. However, the lack of a stadium on the plans shouldn't be seen as a sign that one couldn't be located on campus or right next to it. First of all Harold Byrd and those who support an on campus stadium contend that there is room on campus for a stadium right now. Second, even with the planned expansion of the campus over to Highland, there are still areas adjacent to the campus that could be sites for a future stadium. The University hasn't run out of room to grow even with these planned expansions.

As the University of Memphis grows and expands, all Memphians will benefit! Go Tigers!

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