NKU projects

[buildingcincinnati]

NKU asks $70M from state to grow campus
Post staff report
 
Northern Kentucky University officials want the state legislature to approve $70 million for campus construction projects next year.  "Lack of space has reached a crisis on our campus," NKU President James Votruba said today in his annual State of the University speech. "It impacts our ability to grow enrollments and serve our community."

NKU is asking the legislature for $33.5 million for a new building for the College of Informatics and $22.2 million for a new home for the School of Nursing and Health Professions. The university also wants $15 million to renovate Founders Hall, the old science building.

In addition, NKU is urging legislators to help finance "public engagement" work that NKU and other state universities do on behalf of their communities. Earlier this year, the legislature rejected a $10 million request made by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education for such work.

Read full article here:
http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050819/NEWS01/508190333

[buildingcincinnati]

Student union construction coming soon
By Sean Dressman Published: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 

Northern Kentucky University has seen a lot of changes lately. The University has received a new lake, which is nearing completion. It is scheduled to receive a new arena for the sports groups to use. Now, it appears that another new building will soon be gracing the campus.

The new Student Union building, scheduled to start being built soon, will be between the University Center and Nunn Hall. The Union, a three story building, will house many facilities that are currently in use in the University Center. The Student Union Building, according to manager Steve Meier in the Dean of Students Office, will begin at the grass area just behind UC, and will stretch out to halfway into Parking Lot A. The bridge that Albright Students currently use to get into the upper levels of that building will go away, as all students will have to enter through the lower levels.

Read full article here:
http://www.thenortherner.com/media/paper527/news/2005/10/26/News/Student.Union.Construction.Coming.Soon-1034229.shtml

[buildingcincinnati]

Student fees pay for $37M building
Ground broken for NKU center
BY RYAN CLARK | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

The 10 golden shovels stood upright, ready to move earth on Northern Kentucky University's new $37 million student union building.  University President James Votruba took one, as did Student Regent Jennifer Perry, a senior majoring in organizational leadership. Other school officials - each wearing a white NKU construction helmet - did the same.

Just like that, a project 14 years in the making officially began.  "It's a special day ... to take another step in the development of NKU," Votruba said. "It's hard to believe that 35 years ago this was a farm and a pond."  The three-story building will serve as the "Main Street" of campus, officials said. The size of a football field, the union will be next to the current Regents Hall in what was Parking Lot A.

Read full article here:
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060216/NEWS0103/602160384/1059/

[buildingcincinnati]

It could take Northern up to a year to design new facility
By Stephenie Steitzer Post staff reporter
 
With Gov. Ernie Fletcher sparing funding for the proposed Center for Informatics at Northern Kentucky University from a veto last week, school officials will now begin planning the facility.  It could take the university up to a year to design the $35.5 million building, with construction not likely to start for another year after that, said Ken Ramey, vice president for administration and finance at NKU.

"We would definitely break ground within the biennium," Ramey said Wednesday.  The Center for Informatics is one of three NKU projects the state legislature authorized during the 2006 session.  The university also gained approval to finish construction of a new student union and to build a parking garage next to the planned Bank of Kentucky Center, expected to open in 2008.

Read full article here:
http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060501/NEWS02/605010357/1014

[Cincy1]

I really hope they get additional funding to add these projects, and hopefully they do not continue with the same architectural theme.  They really need to beautify a little more, and get rid of the overall Logan's Run look of this campus.  It was part of the era I guess.

[buildingcincinnati]

Construction continues on Planetarium
Despite setbacks, opening still set for January 2007
Brianna Bodine Issue date: 8/23/06
 
After an investment of $2.35 million, Northern Kentucky University is months away from sporting a state-of-the-art planetarium, one of six like it in the United States.  In May 2005, construction began on the Haile Digital Theater, which will serve as a digital classroom and a venue for educational outreach. The planetarium first show, "Imagination, Art and Science," is scheduled for January 2007, followed by "Secret of the Cardboard Rocket" in March or April.

Besides some minor setbacks, the project is mostly on track. "I think we will definitely be using it sometime in the spring semester," said Charles Hawkins, chair of NKU's Physics and Geology Department. "I'm not sure, at this point, whether I'll be able to schedule classes in there or not."

Read full article here:
http://www.thenortherner.com/media/storage/paper527/news/2006/08/23/News/Construction.Continues.On.Planetarium-2239105.shtml

[buildingcincinnati]

Greenhouse nearing completion
Water leaks faculty's main concern
Brianna Bodine Issue date: 8/30/06
 
If construction remains on schedule, the Northern Kentucky University botany department will move into the new rooftop green house by October.  The greenhouse will function as a hands-on lab for students, a production site for general lab specimens, and a research facility for faculty. Tours for school groups and special interest organizations will also be scheduled.

"Since the greenhouse is on the roof, we will not be able to develop theme gardens outside the building as we had hoped," said biology professor Larry Giesmann, "but individual laboratory classes can visit the facility, and small off-campus groups can be accommodated for educational outreach."

Read full article here:
http://www.thenortherner.com/media/storage/paper527/news/2006/08/30/News/Greenhouse.Nearing.Completion-2250868.shtml

[buildingcincinnati]

Student Union plans don't include media
Roxane Hasselbeck Issue date: 11/29/06
 
While other supervised student-run organizations and departments will move to the new Student Union building when it opens, Student Media will not have a home there. A limited amount of money and space forced the planning group to prioritize, according to Mark Shanley, vice president of Student Affairs.

The organizations included in the move are a part of the Office of Student Life, such as the Student Government Association, Activities Programming Board, Greek coordinating councils, Northern Kentucky Leadership Institute, and the Latino, African American, and International Student Affairs.

Read full article here:
http://www.thenortherner.com/media/storage/paper527/news/2006/11/29/News/Student.Union.Plans.Dont.Include.Media-2511110.shtml?norewrite200612180253&sourcedomain=www.thenortherner.com

[buildingcincinnati]

NKU plans dorm at ex-nursing home
BY PATRICK CROWLEY | PCROWLEY@NKY.COM AND SCOTT WARTMAN

Northern Kentucky University is in negotiations to purchase the former Lakeside Heights Nursing Center, university officials and state legislators confirmed Tuesday.  The university plans to convert the building into housing for up to 460 students, said university spokesman Chris Cole.

Cole said the goal is to have 200 students housed there in the fall. He estimated NKU would save $8 million to $10 million by converting the building rather than constructing a new one.  State legislators are working to get $20 million to NKU for the purchase and other projects.  The nursing center closed in April amid a state investigation on allegations of neglect and abuse.

Read full article here:
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070103/NEWS0102/701030378/1058/NEWS01

[buildingcincinnati]

NKU wants dorms open by fall
BY PATRICK CROWLEY | PCROWLEY@NKY.COM

Northern Kentucky University is poised to receive state approval to borrow up to $23 million to develop dorm rooms in a former nursing home.  But even as the university plans to purchase the Lakeside Heights Nursing Center and convert it into a dormitory, officials are looking at the next phase of construction expansion.

NKU is lobbying legislators and Gov. Ernie Fletcher to spend $17 million to renovate what is known as the Old Science Building and $36 million to build a Health Innovation Center, where students in health-related careers would take classes.

Read full article here:
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070113/NEWS0102/701130354/1058/NEWS01

[buildingcincinnati]

NKU needs new construction
BY SCOTT WARTMAN | SWARTMAN@NKY.COM

Northern Kentucky University will need to renovate aging buildings and spend $544 million in new construction by 2020 to handle the expected increase in students, according to an assessment released Wednesday by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.

The report said NKU, which has an enrollment of about 14,200, has 22 percent less space than it should.  Top priorities include a $38 million Health Innovations Center to house the nursing and allied health programs, and $18 million in repairs to Founder's Hall, which was last renovated in 1981.

Read full article here:
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070405/NEWS0102/704050367/

[buildingcincinnati]

NKU wants off-campus exodus
BY SCOTT WARTMAN | SWARTMAN@NKY.COM

Northern Kentucky University is trying to get as many students housed off-campus as possible to alleviate the campus housing shortage.  NKU brought some landlords for apartment complexes across the region on campus Thursday to entice students to live off-campus.

Until the college can build another dormitory, NKU will turn to apartment fairs and offer financial incentives to live off-campus, said Matthew Brown, director of housing.  The university expects 1,800 students to apply for the 1,400 beds on campus for the fall.

Read full article here:
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070414/NEWS0102/704140406/

[Sherman Cahal]

I was browsing through their web-site and came upon a document that stated NKU will remain a 'commuter' school, but judging from the above articles, it seems as if the opposite is occurring. With the price of gasoline increasing, it is cheaper (most likely) to remain on-campus than to drive back and forth from Cincinnati, Newport, etc.!

[UncleRando]

NKU unveils state-of-art planetarium
August 27, 2007 | CINCINNATI POST

Northern Kentucky University today became the first educational institution in the world to have a laser projection planetarium system.  The $1.2 million Digistar 3 Laser Projector was dedicated in ceremonies on the fourth floor of the Science Building on the Highland Heights campus.

The projector beams high-resolution images of stars, planets, constellations and galaxies onto a 30-foot diameter domed screen above 61 classroom seats in the Digital Science Center.  The laser system also can project anything in a digital format, including complex computer-generated graphics.

Read full article here:
http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070827/NEWS01/708270357

[UncleRando]

NKU expansion would be costly
BY CLIFF PEALE | September 12, 2007

Expanding Northern Kentucky University to meet ambitious new goals for students and graduates will be expensive.  NKU needs a renovated Old Science building, a new Health Innovation building and a new College of Business building, NKU President James Votruba told NKU Regents Wednesday. The university hopes that the state includes funds for those items in next year’s capital budget.

The new buildings are only part of the daunting task NKU faces in more than doubling its revenue to fund a $536 million budget by 2020, compared to about $205 million this year. It also needs money to recruit faculty and establish programs that will draw students in a more competitive market.

Read full article here:
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070912/NEWS01/70912028

[UncleRando]

NKU’s plans require big bucks
December 11, 2007 | CINCINNATI POST

The next step in Northern Kentucky University's ambitious new business plan to double its number of graduates in 12 years is to persuade legislators to begin funneling millions of additional state dollars to NKU.  To reach a "double the numbers" goal set by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, NKU projects that its current annual budget of $205 million must mushroom to $571 million by 2020.

The NKU business plan calls for the university to do more on its own to increase revenue, but it still calculates that if state aid continues at current levels, there will be budget shortages of $10.6 million in 2009, $14.3 million in 2010, $44.6 million in 2015 and $90.4 million in 2020.

Read full article here:
http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071211/NEWS01/712110358

[UncleRando]

Plan grows, reshapes NKU
Quadrangles, academic clusters would keep campus accessible
BY CLIFF PEALE | April 11, 2008

A new sports and recreation complex near the Bank of Kentucky Center, a new academic cluster south of Johns Hill Road and a new influx of grass and trees are the building blocks for a vision of Northern Kentucky University's campus in 2020.

Consultants unveiled their first recommendation for the campus master plan to NKU regents Thursday. It would add 2.1 million square feet of building space, 2,147 dormitory beds and about 4,500 parking spaces.  It also would create a series of quadrangles in different academic clusters. Consultant Dick Rigterink said keeping the campus compact and walkable is critical.
 
Read full article here:
http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080411/NEWS0103/804110420

[UncleRando]

Student union gives campus living room
Space engages students, fosters community
Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Tanya Bricking Leach

Ever since it was nicknamed “the Concrete Jungle,” Northern Kentucky University’s campus lacked a hub.  The suburban campus was kind of like the Tin Man with no heart: It had lots of buildings with little warmth. There just weren’t many buildings designed to be places to hang out. As the university grew beyond being just a commuter school (now with an enrollment of about 15,000), students craved a gathering place so much that they voted to increase student fees to pay for it.

Today, the 40-year-old campus finally has a living room. NKU’s $37 million Student Union project opened its doors this fall to a 150,000-square-foot building filled with skylights, open spaces and comfortable furniture. It’s home to Starbucks, student affairs offices and even a sushi bar. It has a game room, ballroom and enough extra space that students can come in to check their e-mail at free kiosks or just lounge on a couch and take a catnap.

Read full article here:
http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/12/01/focus4.html

[Sherman Cahal]

Projects near NKU go ahead
But some slowing as tenants hesitate to commit
By Scott Wartman, Kentucky Enquirer, December 8, 2008

Some developers of planned shopping and residential developments around Northern Kentucky University and its new arena expect to start construction in 2009.  The economy has slowed some of the projects, but the 10,000-seat Bank of Kentucky Center and the growth at NKU have kept developers interested in that section of the U.S. 27 corridor.

The Highland Heights City Council earlier this year approved several projects, including two retail developments and an apartment complex for 400 students.  The Thriftway that sat vacant for several years along U.S. 27 in front of NKU was torn down during the summer to make way for a retail/office development that might include a hotel.

[Sherman Cahal]

NKU campus plan delayed until March
By Chris Mayhew, Cincinnati Enquirer, February 16, 2009

Northern Kentucky University's campus planners will present a final master plan, a vision for how the university wants to grow, at the Wednesday, March 11 Board of Regents meeting.  Since NKU announced its preliminary plans April 7, many Highland Heights homeowners have been awaiting further news.

University planners originally intended to make a final proposal public by the end of January, but that was delayed to give the board a more detailed plan, said Larry Blake, NKU's assistant vice president of facilities management.

[UncleRando]

NKU's $50.8M Center for Informatics will allow study to spread to multiple disciplines
http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/nkuinformatics0303.aspx

Drawings for Northern Kentucky University's new $50.8 million Center for Informatics show a state-of-the-art facility that the university that will serve as both a new home for the College of Informatics and as a gateway to the campus' West Quad.

The 110,000-square-foot facility, designed by lead architect Goody Clancy and local architecture firm McGill Smith Punshon Inc., is made up of a central Informatics Common and "digitorium", flanked on two sides by four-story loft-style academic buildings.

One enters through the Informatics Common, designed to serve as an intersection between the social and digital worlds contained within the center.

This space will house a "genius bar", complete with a multi-discipline technology help desk, research flex space, and a café.

Within the common is the two-story glass digitorium, the fully reconfigurable technological heart equipped with audio/visual technology using high-quality LED, digital projection, and intelligent digital displays that allow users to watch, interact with, create and share information.

The digitorium's transparent skin is designed to reflect the center's purpose by allowing those outside to witness human interaction, the most basic – yet most complex – of information sharing systems.

Lining these spaces is a pair of glass and metal lofts, with classrooms and labs arranged on the lower two floors, administrative functions housed on the third floor, and faculty offices on the fourth floor.

Construction of the Center for Informatics is expected to begin within the next two months, with completion occurring by July 2010.

The Kentucky legislature has approved $35.5 million for the new center, with the remainder being funded by a mix of grants and private, government, and corporate funding.

NKU's College of Informatics is one of less than a dozen nationally devoted to the study of informatics, and the university hopes that the new facility will help supply the skilled workforce needed for the region's information economy by attracting and retaining artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, and scientists.

Currently a leader in Kentucky's e-health network through the modernization of the delivery of health care through technology, the college is looking to expand its study of electronic information to other disciplines.

[UncleRando]

NKU pushes building project

Northern Kentucky University turns away 400 students a year interested in nursing and other health-care fields because it doesn't have enough classrooms and labs to house them.  Without a new Health Innovations Center, NKU faces the continued deterioration of the Old Science Center that holds nearly one-quarter of classrooms on the Highland Heights campus.

Those will be NKU's main arguments Tuesday when it joins the region's civic leaders to push for a $92.5 million project that would renovate the older building and add an adjacent newer building.

Read full article here:
http://nky.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20090706/NEWS0103/907070332