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College develops master plan to guide development
By Holly Fisher
Contributing Writer
Looking strictly at recent construction, it would appear as if the College of Charleston is preparing for major growth. Actually, it’s just catching up.
Much of the campus’ facilities are equipped to handle only half its current student population of more than 11,0000. The college’s goal is not to make room for more students but simply to accommodate the students it has, explains Monica R. Scott, vice president for facilities planning.
Scott and college President Lee Higdon led a steering committee that worked with Ayers/Saint/Gross, an architectural and planning firm from Baltimore, to create a detailed 2004 campus master plan. The plan provides guidelines for facilities design and landscaping as well as plans for parking and transportation and an overall site plan.
“With 10,000 to 11,000 students, our specialized facilities were built for half that population,” she says. “This will guide us through getting us up to par. We’re not building for expansion.”
The college’s greatest challenge is working within the confines of downtown—architecturally and geographically. But the college is committed to its neighbors to stay within its current footprint, Scott says.
The college campus falls within Coming Street on the west, Wentworth Street on the south, St. Philip Street on the east and Calhoun Street on the north.
The campus master plan is based on the Fourth Century Initiative, the college’s plan for academic advancement. Its goals are to reduce class sizes, add more faculty, provide more opportunities for undergraduate research, upgrade facilities and enhance student services through an expanded Office of Career Services, wellness facilities and alumni communications.
The Fourth Century Initiative calls for decreasing student enrollment by 300, increasing faculty by 50, and increasing staff by 50. Using those guidelines, the master plan outlines the space needs for the campus. Based on 2002 figures, the college is short more than 346,000 square feet. After adding facilities, faculty and staff and decreasing student enrollment, the deficit will decrease to 235,000 square feet by 2007.
Several of the projects outlined in the first phase of the master plan are under way and more new construction will begin soon. The new $9.5 million School of Business is completed and the Addlestone Library was dedicated earlier this month. Other projects in this first phase include renovations to the Lightsey Conference Center and Stern Student Center. The School of Arts will be expanded. This $20 million project will be at the corner of Calhoun and St. Philip streets. This project will go out for bids this spring.
The college also is accepting bids on the School of Education expansion at Wentworth and St. Philip streets. This $5.5 million project will be centered around the historic building at 86 Wentworth St. It will create an L-shaped facility housing faculty offices and outreach programs. It should be finished in the summer of 2006.
Expansion on the Johnson Center, the college’s athletics complex, will begin this summer. The tennis courts and parking lots on the north side of the center will be removed, with a new arena connected to the center. The expanded basketball arena will have seating for 5,000 people, a strength training area and athletic offices will also be housed in the building. This $36 million project is slated for completion in 2007.
As is the case on many college campuses, parking is a major headache. The College of Charleston campus, particularly with its dense downtown location, faces a parking shortage.
College officials have been working with Charleston city officials and CARTA to alleviate the parking problem. The college has 600 spaces in the Aquarium Garage with CARTA providing students and staff free shuttle service to and from the garage.
Plans also are in the works to provide six to eight park-and-ride lots around the tri-county area. CARTA then would provide express routes from these parking lots to the campus. Particularly underused parking lots will be targeted for park-and-ride sites. Although the exact locations haven’t been set, targeted areas would include West Ashley and James Island.
Scott says the college also is considering more pedestrian pathways to divert students from the major roads, such as Calhoun Street. Landscaping along major thoroughfares may also be used as a way to funnel pedestrians so they only cross the streets at the crosswalks.
One of the goals of the master plan is to “emphasize the benefits of a larger university while maintaining the intimacy of a small college,” according to the report. The plan focuses largely on improving the college’s academic facets.
“The (master plan) and Fourth Century Initiative both are focusing on the things we can do to really focus on academic excellence,” Scott says. “The size of the institution is set (including faculty and staff), so this was the perfect time to do the master plan.”
Scott notes little planning for facilities and space needs had been done since the college became a state university in 1970.
“The conclusion of the master plan study is that given our stable enrollment goal and what we’re doing academically, we do have enough space. Not that it’s not challenging,” she notes. “We can stay within our bounds and meet our needs. The college is responding to the needs of the current population.”
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