Report to BOT from V-C Greg Lovins says Winkler Residence Hall is seriously behind the eight ball...or the wrecking ball.

http://www2.wataugademocrat.com/News/st ... -id-011847

I guess we won't be seeing a dorm/seating structure built in the north end zone anytime soon.

eggers76 wrote:I guess we won't be seeing a dorm/seating structure built in the north end zone anytime soon.

Not necessarily. Relocate Justice to where Owens currently sits and turn the current Justice location into classrooms.

I lived in Winkler this past school year. I don't think they are demolishing it from what I have heard and been told by housing officials. My understanding is that it has such a low capacity for its footprint that its not economical(4 private bedrooms per apartment). They are remodeling it so that it will be a suite style dorm like Newland or the LLC and allowing it to hold twice the number of residents which helps ASU have a higher percentage of its students on campus. Its just the next dorm on the list to be remodeled(and Lord does it need need to be). But the bad part about this when it come to football is that a lot of that back parking lot will be unavailable for game day parking because of construction and equipment storage for the remodeling.

If the real estate economy ever gets going again & prices for 2nd homes start to grow,see how fast the university will have to reset priorties.( Winkler gone,what's next,Gardner?)

BTK2000 wrote:I lived in Winkler this past school year. I don't think they are demolishing it from what I have heard and been told by housing officials. My understanding is that it has such a low capacity for its footprint that its not economical(4 private bedrooms per apartment). They are remodeling it so that it will be a suite style dorm like Newland or the LLC and allowing it to hold twice the number of residents which helps ASU have a higher percentage of its students on campus. Its just the next dorm on the list to be remodeled(and Lord does it need need to be). But the bad part about this when it come to football is that a lot of that back parking lot will be unavailable for game day parking because of construction and equipment storage for the remodeling.

The article linked above pretty much says it is gone. The remodel is off because of the cost. There is no other use for the building. Sounds as if it's as good as gone.

I can't help but think this a little bit of a desperation move by ASU after Boone's brain dead town council passed its discriminatory student housing moratorium. Gotta put the kids somewhere.

Gonzo wrote:I can't help but think this a little bit of a desperation move by ASU after Boone's brain dead town council passed its discriminatory student housing moratorium. Gotta put the kids somewhere.

The article said there was a surplus of 1,200 to 2,500 rental units in town. ASU can currently house 38% of the student body on campus. According to the article, every student who applied for on-campus housing got it this year. It doesn't sound as if there is a demand for more on-campus housing. If not, then it's a wise decision to save the money and use it somewhere else.

Land is at a premium at App what would they put in its place?

Saint3333 wrote:Land is at a premium at App what would they put in its place?

A parking deck would be sweet

Another reason for not needing to remodel or rebuild it this little project going up off Poplar Grove Road. As the article indicated a better use of student fees is building classroom space. The private sector has begun taking over the housing needs for colleges around the country. Sad to see Towers (as we called it) going away. When built it was unique and highly sought after. Spent 2 years there.

http://www2.wataugademocrat.com/News/st ... -id-007069

BTK2000 wrote:I lived in Winkler this past school year. I don't think they are demolishing it from what I have heard and been told by housing officials. My understanding is that it has such a low capacity for its footprint that its not economical(4 private bedrooms per apartment). They are remodeling it so that it will be a suite style dorm like Newland or the LLC and allowing it to hold twice the number of residents which helps ASU have a higher percentage of its students on campus. Its just the next dorm on the list to be remodeled(and Lord does it need need to be). But the bad part about this when it come to football is that a lot of that back parking lot will be unavailable for game day parking because of construction and equipment storage for the remodeling.

Quick, quick...you'd better go tell V-C Greg Lovins that he lied to the BOT on Friday. You'd better get him straightened out before it's too late! Somehow, he seems to think he's in charge of this decision.

ASU has spent the past several years renovating its residence halls, and the next scheduled renovation was to be Winkler Hall, located on the west side of campus. But construction bids came in $5 million higher than the university's budget for the project.

"Because those bids were so high, we've opted not to reopen Winkler Hall," Greg Lovins, ASU vice chancellor for business affairs, told the trustees.

Winkler's apartment-style suites would have been converted to traditional dorm rooms, doubling the number of beds available. Lovins said staff have looked at converting the structure to office space, but that would also be costly.

"We're probably looking at a future demolition," he said."

asu66 wrote:Report to BOT from V-C Greg Lovins says Winkler Residence Hall is seriously behind the eight ball...or the wrecking ball.

http://www2.wataugademocrat.com/News/st ... -id-011847

More parking for stadium lot...

appst89 wrote:

Gonzo wrote:I can't help but think this a little bit of a desperation move by ASU after Boone's brain dead town council passed its discriminatory student housing moratorium. Gotta put the kids somewhere.

The article said there was a surplus of 1,200 to 2,500 rental units in town. ASU can currently house 38% of the student body on campus. According to the article, every student who applied for on-campus housing got it this year. It doesn't sound as if there is a demand for more on-campus housing. If not, then it's a wise decision to save the money and use it somewhere else.

Be that as it may, it just feels bad to see a campus building torn down and replaced with nothing. I do wonder what they'll do with the space though.

If they do get rid of Winkler, I sincerely hope they do not replace it with another parking lot. Stadium Parking is already huge... we do not need to make it any bigger. I know that alumni want more parking there for tailgating during football season, but most students are growing tired of so much asphalt. I would support the demolition of the building if it meant that a park or some sort of nature area went in its place. Appalachian State is known for its lush and natural surroundings... why destroy a building and not return that area to its roots?

I agree. We don't need to expand Stadium Lot. That lot is reserved for upper level Yosef Club donors and we don't even fill it as it stands now.

I'm not saying it needs to be a parking lot, but every space in that lot is spoken for. They may not come every week, but there are Yosef members that have the rights to those spaces, actually there are more $2,500 members and above than there are spaces.

I'm sure tudents want lush and green until they drive up and down every row in Stadium lot, unable to find a parking space at 8:55 a.m.

So why was Winkler (a/k/a Towers) closed? Was the dorm uninhabitable? If renovation is not cost effective, then why not keep the original configuration?

appst89 wrote:

Gonzo wrote:I can't help but think this a little bit of a desperation move by ASU after Boone's brain dead town council passed its discriminatory student housing moratorium. Gotta put the kids somewhere.

The article said there was a surplus of 1,200 to 2,500 rental units in town. ASU can currently house 38% of the student body on campus. According to the article, every student who applied for on-campus housing got it this year. It doesn't sound as if there is a demand for more on-campus housing. If not, then it's a wise decision to save the money and use it somewhere else.

My wife runs one of the big 3 communities in Boone. That number of surplus is far closer to the 2,500 number. I know the Templetons well and their plight with the town was BS but the town saved their butts as there is no need for more student housing in Boone as every single complex with the exception the state assisted University Highlands has vacancy. For most of them the highest vacancy rates since they were built. The student housing market is beyond saturated at this point. They could close down two more dorms and not have a single kid live outside of Boone town limits.