On-campus housing on the west side of Nicholson Drive is slated for a massive facelift as part of the Nicholson Drive redevelopment project, which has been proposed to be included on the Board of Supervisors’ Feb. 1 meeting agenda.
Danny Mahaffey, director of Facility Planning, said possible plans include replacing the existing family and graduate housing.
The apartments extend from the University’s North Gates along Nicholson Drive to the site of the old Alex Box stadium.
“It’s a very big and important project for the University,” Mahaffey said.
The February budget meeting is only meant to approve the master plan concept. Mahaffey said any other developments will return to the Board at a future date for approval.
“Approval of the master plan is the first step, followed by several more steps,” said Steve Waller, director of Residential Life.
Other developments on the table at the February meeting will include selection of the master developer, the way the project will be financed and final plans to the design of the structures.
A final estimate of the project’s cost is unknown, said Mahaffey.
“We have some very rough ballpark figures, but the final figures have not been determined yet,” Mahaffey said.
Waller said the plan’s developers goal is to fund the
project through a public/private partnership.
Biology graduate student Mukesh Maharjar moved into one of the Nicholson Apartments at the beginning of the spring semester and found multiple problems with the outdated units.
“The cockroaches are terrible,” Maharjar said.
Maharjar also referred to the state of his air conditioning unit as “not proper.”
Chu Chuihui, computer science graduate student, has lived in the Nicholson Apartments for two years. Chuihui also said his air conditioning unit was not suitable, as one unit is not enough for his whole apartment.
Maharjar and Chuihui said they hope the Nicholson master plan passes at the meeting, to get the ball rolling on the process to redevelop the aging apartment complex.
Mahaffey said, if passed, parts of the master plan could begin in 2013.
Plans to build new apartments for students on Nicholson Drive have been made. The new apartments would extend into the old Alex Box Stadium area.
