TCU Construction Updates
- Thread starter TCUdirtbag
- Start date
It's not going anywhere any time soon.
ShadowFrog
Moderators
Expand BLUU, how? Upwards?
Sadler going admin/classroom- is Vic moving out?
Sadler going admin/classroom- is Vic moving out?
HToady
Full Member
Just took a stroll down Merida. Half of the West side is already paved for future parking (I thought I heard on here it was going to be something else). The North end was left open ended, so that once the party house goes down they will extend to the street. The one house on the other side of Merida was being vacated as I walked by.
TCUdirtbag
Active Member
There's quite a lot pledges being paid out over a term of years (most notably as of 1/16 being Schollmaier, but also Rees-Jones and probably some if not all of the Library-I'm unfamiliar with how that was funded). "Revenue producing buildings" are dorms and so basically all of the Worth Hills project, which is (very) roughly going to be in the $150 M range altogether, last I heard. Deep will know much more accurate numbers.
Keep in mind that debt figure is less than one year's annual budget. TCU is very responsible with its debt.
TCUdirtbag
Active Member
Enrollment has been inching up anyway. That's only another 600, or very roughly 150 per class / 75 dorm rooms per class, for 150 mandatory dorm rooms (1 dorm). All "old" dorms are back on-line after one being off-line nearly every year for a number of years (renovations), plus they've added 3 new one in Worth Hills already, the new Greek housing will fill a big demand, and they're about to build 2 more new ones out there. The master plan will show potential for more. So they have a plan to handle the housing situation - the bigger issue is the pressure on dining and student services, not to mention faculty, associated with increased enrollment.
TCUdirtbag
Active Member
Parking for now.
They're putting trailers somewhere for faculty offices during the Neeley construction (think economics dept circa 2004 and bookstore circa 2006), I would assume some of that Merida Ave property will host those, but don't know.
Purp
Active Member
I thought the Econ dept seemed pretty well entrenched in the new building closest to Frog Fountain where the Main used to be.
TCUdirtbag
Active Member
Construction Updates:
- Robert Carr Chapel renovations are complete.
- Dan Rogers Hall is gone. They're still fundraising for the Neeley project while they get ready to start building - that's why you haven't seen a formal announcement about a $100 M business school overhaul.
- Everything (or nearly) between Tandy and the grad student/Brite housing is now leveled (except for that one weird modern house). The more Western block is a combination of already-existing parking and new temporary buildings for the business school. That area should transform again post-Neeley construction.
- The majority of the houses on Princeton St just East of Moudy and Brite are gone. I believe that site is being considered for the new School of Music facility.
- 12 of the new houses in Worth Hills (mostly sororities) are substantially complete and will open in time for classes - the next batch of dorms are coming down to make room for the rest of the houses, which will open in fall 2018.
- The new Facilities Master Plan has not been released. I assume some delays in the Neeley fundraising and some "back to the drawing board" decisions with regard to the new "Moudy East" fine arts building and school of music have caused this delay. I suspect it'll come out in the fall or spring now - if they ever release it publicly (initially, they planned a grand reveal with a high tech interactive website).
Branding Update:
- Although it started disappearing from most publications (including the website) over the past couple years (maybe more), TCU has used the tagline "Learning to Change the World" since the early 2000s. That tagline is out. (It was somewhat informally replaced with "doers, dreamers, trailblazers" from a marketing perspective, but that was never formally adopted. Those are out.
- The new tagline will be "lead on" (see example below). You can expect to see a lot of this tagline in the near future - It will be worked into the new university website, which should be up early 2018. I would assume the 2017-18 TV ads will lean on this phrase, too.
- A sub-site -- http://leadon.tcu.edu -- will be launching soon.
- Robert Carr Chapel renovations are complete.
- Dan Rogers Hall is gone. They're still fundraising for the Neeley project while they get ready to start building - that's why you haven't seen a formal announcement about a $100 M business school overhaul.
- Everything (or nearly) between Tandy and the grad student/Brite housing is now leveled (except for that one weird modern house). The more Western block is a combination of already-existing parking and new temporary buildings for the business school. That area should transform again post-Neeley construction.
- The majority of the houses on Princeton St just East of Moudy and Brite are gone. I believe that site is being considered for the new School of Music facility.
- 12 of the new houses in Worth Hills (mostly sororities) are substantially complete and will open in time for classes - the next batch of dorms are coming down to make room for the rest of the houses, which will open in fall 2018.
- The new Facilities Master Plan has not been released. I assume some delays in the Neeley fundraising and some "back to the drawing board" decisions with regard to the new "Moudy East" fine arts building and school of music have caused this delay. I suspect it'll come out in the fall or spring now - if they ever release it publicly (initially, they planned a grand reveal with a high tech interactive website).
Branding Update:
- Although it started disappearing from most publications (including the website) over the past couple years (maybe more), TCU has used the tagline "Learning to Change the World" since the early 2000s. That tagline is out. (It was somewhat informally replaced with "doers, dreamers, trailblazers" from a marketing perspective, but that was never formally adopted. Those are out.
- The new tagline will be "lead on" (see example below). You can expect to see a lot of this tagline in the near future - It will be worked into the new university website, which should be up early 2018. I would assume the 2017-18 TV ads will lean on this phrase, too.
- A sub-site -- http://leadon.tcu.edu -- will be launching soon.
Deep Purple
Full Member
Sorry, I haven't responded to the questions in this thread, guys, but I haven't looked in here since May. And in many cases, DB and others have given really good information that I couldn't improve on in any way. In a number of cases, they have better information than me, so I enjoy reading their responses as much as anybody.
That silver house you speak of is completely surrounded by TCU campus and is owned by an architectural guy who used to teach as an adjunct in TCU's Fashion Merchandising & Interior Design program. Several years ago, he got in a wee bit of trouble for assigning his students class projects that improved his personal property, which is a big no-no.
Much as TCU would like to acquire that property, my understanding is that he's pretty happy and entrenched there, so I doubt he'll be selling anytime soon. It's his property. He's paying for it, so he's entitled to it. More power to him.
When it happens (likely in the next 3-5 years), the east side expansion of Amon Carter Stadium will include a second deck. It almost has to in order to include the luxury suites they plan on adding. You could add the suites without the deck, but if you're going that far in construction, it's more cost-effective to do the whole thing -- suites and new deck -- all at once.
Even with the likely impending increase in the enrollment cap, TCU still aims to build enough housing to accommodate every undergrad on campus. Right now, we accommodate about half of them. But Chancellor Boschini often describes that "total undergrad housing" goal as a "world peace" type goal -- something we should always strive for, but are unlikely to ever completely achieve. We will keep expanding on-campus student housing because there's a demand for it and, for the last decade at least, and for the foreseeable future, the demand far exceeds the supply.
TCU generally takes on debt for building projects under only two conditions:
1. The project is not an attractive fundraising option. As generous as our donors are, few want to put their names on a parking garage or a new physical plant building. Completely understandable.
2. The particular project need is too strategically urgent to wait on the sometimes slow and uncertain process of fundraising. For some projects, we can raise the needed money very quickly -- in a year or two. For example, we just completed fundraising for the Kelly Center expansion, and you will see dirt flying on that project very soon. But for very large-ticket projects, the fundraising can stretch over many years. When the need is immediate, you just can't wait that long. That's why we began the Neeley School rebuilding and expansion project this summer, even though we still have $15 million or so to raise.
In a number of cases, TCU has relied on a combination of fundraising and debt to finance a project. It's a good compromise. It gets things done while still minimizing our overall debt liability.
Deep Purple
Full Member
The completed ones are all sororities. The fraternity houses will be rebuilt in the coming year.
There's been no setback that I know of in "Moudy East" project, though I wouldn't swear to it. I suspect the reason TCU is slow in releasing the Facilties Master Plan is because, once people see it, they regard it as set in stone. TCU, on the other hand, regards the Master Plan as entirely provisional and subject to revision at any time.
Creating certain expectations and then changing the plan sometimes upsets some people. I think TCU is just being cautious.
During my 23 years at TCU, there's rarely ever been just one marketing tagline. Usually, there are two or three floating around simultaneously. For example, one that still has official currency is "world-class, values-driven education." You'll still find that one on many of the websites for the TCU colleges.
Perhaps it's on it's way out. I just know that TCU rarely has just one officially sanctioned marketing tagline.
TCUdirtbag
Active Member
Great info as always. Congrats on finishing up Kelly Center fundraising, too, and IIRC either a public capital campaign or the big endowment push (maybe Ken in the same) is about to kick off so best of luck working those big donors.
On the branding deal - "Learning to Change the World" was branded under the TCU logo on TCU.edu for about 10 years. Less just marketing and more branding (though I remember some pretty terrible Bob Schiefer tv ads where they used that brand as a marketing slogan). My understanding of the "Lead On" deal is it will be branding more akin to the "Learning to Change the World" -- I'm sure development in particular will continue using "creating a world-class, values centered, university experience." And I'm sure we'll see more marketing campaigns too (like Doers. Dreamers, Trailblazers, Where Dreams Get Started, Where Dreams Take their Course, Ahead of the Curve, etc.).
Hoosierfrog
Tier 1
You y gave insight into this...
Kind off target but related to branding and copyrights; up here there is a bank that drives me nuts called Teachers Credit Union that almost always goes by TCU in advertisements. When I was transferred up here I almost got whiplash every time I heard it on tv. Why does the real TCU allow this?
Brog
Full Member
There used to be (still is?) a unit at Harris Hospital called "Transitional Care Unit". People always being sent to TCU. Always got better.
ShadowFrog
Moderators
Re-reading this from months ago:
My opinion matters not 1 cent but I hope the lobby of Sadler will remain as it is with the comfy chairs, big paintings & big TCU seal on the floor. I cringed when the old Jarvis lobby/living room was removed and even tho I only peeked in I liked the old Faculty Center in the middle of old Reed 2nd floor. Sure hope Sadler can retain a glimmer of its original past on the new re-do to come.
As for the BLUU -- expand how? Add a floor? Or push out to courtyard??
Hoosierfrog
Tier 1
Should read "you might be able to give some insight "
Why can't we have an edit button!
Pure Purple
KMA
In 1952, that lobby/living room of Jarvis Hall was the site of some incredibly large poker games.
Some lasted throughout a good part of the day.
Some lasted throughout a good part of the day.
Gary's Shirtless Revenge
Full Member
A cap campaign to raise $1b for the endowment would be very, very smart.
HToady
Full Member
Not true. Two of the new units are fraternities Phi Delta Theta and Phi Kappa Sigma. They are the two that face directly across from Chi Omega and ADPi. Not a great location for a fraternity but they did get theirs first.
