TCU Construction Updates

[BrewingFrog]

"The Graphic Design and the Merchandising & Textiles departments aren't located in the Secrest-Wible Building (former Shannon Funeral Home) on Merida. They're located in storefront buildings on Berry Street at the intersection with Sandage. Secrest-Wible (the old funeral home) houses nothing but TCU administrative offices such as Extended Education, Risk Management, and some offices of Information Technology and Business Services. Until TCU has alternative office space to relocate those departments, the old funeral home will not be demolished."

There's got to be some great inside jokes on all that...

 

[lowfrog]

Kings Liquor has a goldmine there. They'll have to be offered Nick Saban's salary to sell it.

King's is the official liquor store of TCU going back to the early 1970s.

 

[geezer]

King's is the official liquor store of TCU going back to the early 1970s.

I see your "early 1970's" and raise you an "early 1960's"...

 

[Opintel]

1960, I believe. That's called successful, eh?

 

[lowfrog]

I see your "early 1970's" and raise you an "early 1960's"...

You and Opintel are correct. I should have said "at least early 1970s." King's was already there when I arrived in fall of 1973. I can't name another business on Berry other than King's that has been there that long.

 

[TCUdirtbag]

I used a lot less words than you and my post was a lot shorter, apart from the half that was quoting you.

Trustee approval of a start date for a donor-financed project is always provisional based on fundraising. It's never firm, like with TCU-financed projects. You yourself acknowledge that when you noted, "the last few donations haven't been inked as quickly as hoped so the project is looking toward a May 2018 start now." So case closed.

Your post also contained several other errors that I was simply providing better information about. What have you got against better information, besides wounded pride?

Several of the "errors" were your misunderstanding of what was said or you providing additional useless info. Mostly I just get annoyed that you nit pick and brag about your knowledge and never share anything interesting. Even though I get why you can't put non-public info out there.

 

[TCUdirtbag]

Pictures were coming down off the walls of the 1st floor area between Rogers and Tandy this morning.

The Int'l Board of Visitors, and the Professor awards on the opposite side (if you're familiar with the area I'm referencing) were the ones taken down.

Met with a couple business professors who office in Rogers in regards to finals this morning as well, and they had their possessions boxed up and were told to vacate by Friday of this week.

Neeley Academic Advising is allegedly being relocated from Rogers to the PDC (Professional Development Center) in Tandy.

Lot of activity going on today.

Heard they are around $15 million short on the business project start, but have soft commitments on the amount they are lacking; hence the emptying out of Rogers this week.

FWIW I'm a sophomore business student and not privy to any insider information. Just reporting what I've seen and heard.

Yep, Dan Rogers is being vacated at the end of the week. They're confident enough the money is coming, I suppose.

 

[VictoryLap]

You and Opintel are correct. I should have said "at least early 1970s." King's was already there when I arrived in fall of 1973. I can't name another business on Berry other than King's that has been there that long.

Kubes jewelers has been on Berry since 1950 apparently.

 

[ShadowFrog]

Kubes jewelers has been on Berry since 1950 apparently.

My parents bought their wedding rings there, married in Carr Chapel summer '54. New article due out next issue TCU magazine about Carr couples.

 

[Hoosierfrog]

Didn't everyone get their class rings at Kubes?

 

[Deep Purple]

Several of the "errors" were your misunderstanding of what was said or you providing additional useless info. Mostly I just get annoyed that you nit pick and brag about your knowledge and never share anything interesting. Even though I get why you can't put non-public info out there.

Didn't brag about anything. If you think I did, feel free to point out where. And the errors I addressed weren't nitpicks. Academic departments located in buildings where they're not located. Buildings coming down that aren't coming down -- not in the immediate future anyway. Those aren't just "misunderstandings," they're clearly off-target. And just because you don't find it interesting doesn't mean nobody else does.

I appreciate the information you post here, DB, and I think you do TCU alumni a real service by sharing it. Some of it is stuff I wasn't aware of and is news to me. Some of it is stuff I'm aware of, but not free to share. So you genuinely fill a much-needed information gap.

But if some of what you've posted is bad information, why does it bother you so much that I post the correct stuff?

 

[Deep Purple]

Yep, Dan Rogers is being vacated at the end of the week. They're confident enough the money is coming, I suppose.

You're right. Got the word this afternoon. The Trustees have authorized the Neeley project and the Kelly Center expansion to begin in June, even though we still have a measure of money to raise for both projects.

Other projects that will likely commence in the next 3-5 years:

• Expansion of the eastside stands at Amon Carter Stadium, including new suites.

• Expansion of the BLUU.

• New administrative building to replace the parking lot next to the Admission Center. (That's the project that will allow demolition of the old Shannon Funeral Home / Secrest-Wible Building.)

• When the new administrative building is completed, Sadler Hall will be completely vacated of administrative offices and renovated as an academic building (classrooms and faculty offices). New home for the Honors College, which is currently located in a large suite in Scharbauer Hall.

Trustees are also considering raising the enrollment cap from 10,000 to 11,000. If they do this (not decided yet), the target for grad programs will remain at 1,500, and the undergrad cap will be raised from 8,500 to 9,500. However, we've already exceeded the undergrad cap at about 8,900 current, so it would really be an increase of only about 600 students.

 

[froginaustin]

You and Opintel are correct. I should have said "at least early 1970s." King's was already there when I arrived in fall of 1973. I can't name another business on Berry other than King's that has been there that long.

King's was established and thriving when I found it in the fall of 1968.

 

[BrewingFrog]

Deep, does this expansion of the Eastside stands mean an upper deck?

 

[TCUdirtbag]

It still baffles me that they so significantly underbuilt the BLUU. When trying to make final budget cuts they were literally taking feet off the auditorium to get the total cost down. That was happening in 2005, though, which was an entirely different era.

 

[Gary's Shirtless Revenge]

Relevant data to this discussion from the latest tax filing (FY 2015-2016)

Total TCU Debt Outstanding as of 06/01/2016: $540 million
Total Interest Paid During FY2015-2016: $16 million

On that debt, some is covered by future contributions (like how we paid for the AGC but accepted funds over 1-5+ years), but not all of it. Most of the "revenue producing" buildings on campus were paid for with debt.

At the end of FY2015-2016 $2.8 billion in total assets against that debt... That's roughly 20% debt to asset ratio.

 

[cdsfrog]

Question deep. That's a significant increase in enrollment size. Are they still trying to eventually offer on campus housing for all 4 years? Seems incredibly hard for that size.

 

[Paradoxotaur]

Question deep. That's a significant increase in enrollment size. Are they still trying to eventually offer on campus housing for all 4 years? Seems incredibly hard for that size.

That's what she said.

 

[Big Frog II]

Question deep. That's a significant increase in enrollment size. Are they still trying to eventually offer on campus housing for all 4 years? Seems incredibly hard for that size.

They would like to offer on campus housing for those who want to be on campus for 4 years, but it won't be mandatory. There are a number of juniors and seniors that are forced off campus because of the lack of space.

 

[cdsfrog]

That's what I mean. Not debating mandatory, right not they they are behind on capacity for voluntary, this seems like it might make it harder.