Nick Dalton, general studies senior, says he hopes to be given the opportunity to build covered bus stops around the University’s campus as a way not only to better the University, but also to launch his career as an entrepreneur.
Student Government and the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation have confirmed plans for larger, more expansive bus stops to be built by Lockett Hall and the Frey Computing Services Center, but Dalton wants to build smaller, but less ornate bus stops around the perimeter of campus.
Dalton, who owns Dalton Management LLC, said he thinks covered bus stops are an SG initiative he could bring to fruition, not only as structures built around campus but also as security alert systems.
“I’ve got some really good student safety stuff integrated into my designs that I can’t really disclose what they are because of the competition,” Dalton said. “It’s almost like the Emergency Alert System.”
Dalton said he could build these bus stops at no cost to the University. He said his company could design the bus stops, finance a contractor building them and in turn, advertise on them for profit.
“Our shelters will be metal shelters, but they will be architecturally designed to fit in with LSU’s existing structures,” Dalton said. “As far as designs, our entire goal is that we will put these structures up, and they will fit in with LSU’s campus.”
Dalton said he is currently working on the design phase of the structures with Emmett David, director of Facility Services, to whom he is sending designs.
Dalton said he has had trouble designing the bus stops because of the lack of organization and specification among those organizing the bus-stop initiative, including SG President J Hudson.
“They just really don’t know what exactly what they want,” Dalton said. “There’s no official plan out, no specifications, nothing. It’s very difficult to move forward when the organization that wants the bus stops doesn’t know what it wants.”
Dalton said he originally approached Hudson about building the bus stops but was given little feedback and was not contacted again by Hudson.
“What really surprises me is that there’s just no follow-up,” Dalton said. “Why wasn’t J coming to me and saying, ‘Hey, Nick, let me see your business plan,’ and saying let me help you critique it and get it to the right person.”
Hudson, who acknowledged he has not followed up with Dalton, said SG does not have control over who builds the bus stops, and he referred Dalton to Gary Graham, director of Parking, Traffic and Transportation.
“I don’t know the capabilities of that company,” Hudson said. “We can’t just say, ‘Here’s the job.’ We have to bid it out to whoever will make LSU most profitable.”
Graham said he had not seen any designs from Dalton as of Monday, but designs have been submitted by MSSMedia, another company. Graham said the designs will be reviewed at the next Facilities Design and Development Committee meeting. If there is more than one company interested in building the bus stops after the design is approved, the companies will have to bid, Graham said.
 
 
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Contact Andrea Gallo at [email protected]