Campus Master Plan

Summary
2019
The University of North Alabama experience begins with our campus community
and the educational setting we create for our students. As a growing and dynamic
institution, we continue to seek ways to attract students who seek a quality educa-
tion through active, engaged learning inside and outside the classroom.

Research, metrics, and 3D puzzle play from our students, faculty, staff, Board of
Trustees, and alumni were used to create this updated Campus Master Plan. With
UNA’s mission and values in mind, the updated plan creates new possibilities for
personal growth and inspiration for our students by addressing the value of place in
experiential education. Campus facilities need to allow for growth of the curriculum
through academic initiatives and an opportunity to increase our retention to better
serve our students’ academic and residential needs.

The Board of Trustees approved this updated Campus Master Plan at its summer
meeting in June 2019. The Plan outlines UNA’s bold commitment to student suc-
cess by delivering an approach to campus development that is reflective of our
beautiful location, the nature of experiential learning, and the need to invest in our
infrastructure to deliver our brand promise.

The campus community will work to ensure that the University of North Alabama
stays relevant for all of those students who need, deserve, and benefit from the
highly personalized education offered here. I am confident that this 2019 Campus
Master Plan will set the scene for our future growth and development and that it
will help to clearly define a path to success for our current and future students.

Sincerely,

Kenneth D. Kitts, Ph.D.

President
 Campus Master Plan

Existing Buildings New Buildings

1. Coby Hall 1. Music addition
2. George S. Lindsey Theatre 2. Guillot University Center addition
3. Norton Auditorium 3. Kilby School
4. Art Building and Gallery 4. Math/Engineering Technology
5. Rogers Hall 5. Student Recreation Center
6. Keller Hall/Raburn Wing addition
7. Communications Building 6. Future recital hall/black box
8. Powers Hall
9. President’s Home
10. Bibb Graves Hall
11. Wesleyan Hall and Annex
12. Stone Lodge
13. Laura M. Harrison Hall
14. Steam Plant
15. Appleby East and West
Residence Halls
Existing Site
16. Mitchell Burford Science and A Laura M. Harrison Plaza and
Technology Building Fountain
17. Parking Deck B Lion Habitat
18. Student Recreation Center C Shelby Way
19. Covington Hall D Football/soccer practice field
20. Hawthorne Hall E Band field
21. Flowers Hall F Recreation field
22. Hal Seif Field House G Tennis courts
23. Athletics Weight Room
24. Greek Housing
25. Music Building
New Site Work
Renovated Buildings
26. Wendell W. Gunn Commons
A Commons - GUC parking and
27. Guillot University Center
connection
28. Lafayette Hall
B Guest parking
29. Willingham Hall
C Circular Drive parking
30. Collier Library
D Amphitheater seating and
31. Stevens Hall
greenspace
32. LaGrange Hall
E STEEM courtyard and
33. Rivers Hall
playground
34. Mane Market
F Mane Market dining arcade
35. Rice Hall
G Remote parking
36. Olive Hall
37. Mattielou Hall
38. Bennett Infirmary
 Guidance for the Campus Master Plan
Elements of Success The University of North Alabama Campus Master
Plan describes our efforts to create an intentional
Authentically live out our strategic plan. and compelling experience for our students. As a
• Across the University: Shared UNA identity, innovative and thriving institution in a unique cultural and historic
student centered-academics, integrated technology, diversity area, we embrace the notion that a sustainable
and inclusion.
future lies nearby, in what has been called
• Across programs: Experiential learning opportunities, “adjacent possibilities.” Our strategic goals focus
research, community engagement. us on exploration, connection, collaboration, and
• Within programs: Prominent, recognized academic programs, cultivation of opportunities that surround us. That
competitive teams. mindscape and landscape includes our people, our
Control what we own, use what we have programs, our spaces, and, equally important, our
place. Who we can be is inseparable from where we
• Address facilities that are capping potential enrollment
growth. are.
• Make best use of existing capacity across the University.
Themes and Observations
• Strategically allocate existing space made available as a
consequence of new capital assets. The 20th and 21st century story of our University
Create coherence and character and the City of Florence ranges from the industry
and power of the Tennessee Valley Authority to a
• Highlight UNA - Florence connections.
deep lineage of recording artists and studios. UNA
• Create physical expressions of institutional identity. began as a teachers college with the distinction
• Create connectivity and convergence, indoors and outdoors. of a campus plan developed by the landscape

Strategic Plan 2019-24, Themes and Goals

• Increase experiential learning opportunities for students (e.g. internships, education
Theme One: abroad, study away, preceptorships, and simulations).
Transformational • Expand research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.
Student Experience • Create curricular and co-curricular programs to engage students outside the
classroom and beyond the first academic year.
• Promote and support an innovative, student-centered academic experience at all
Theme Two: levels and in all modalities.
Academic Excellence • Increase technology integration to improve and enhance student learning.
and Innovation • Maintain a high-quality, student-focused, personalized instructional and learning
environment as the University grows, evolves, and diversifies its academic offerings.
• Embrace a broad definition of diversity that fosters a culture of respect for all.
• Increase diversity among students, faculty, and staff using strategic recruitment and
Theme Three: retention initiatives.
Diversity and Inclusion • Develop and implement a co-curricular program focused on diversity and inclusion.
• Establish and support a Center for Social Inclusion to serve as a campus and
community hub for diversity and inclusion.
• Diversify and pursue public and private funding strategies to support the University
and its students.
Theme Four: • Invest in strategic capital and deferred maintenance projects to better support the
Financial Sustainability student experience.
• Maximize resource efficiency to ensure the future growth and expansion of the
University’s mission.

• Pursue a cohesive and shared institutional identity focused on student learning and
engagement—locally, regionally, and globally
Theme Five:
• Develop prominent academic programs with national and international recognition at
Institutional Identity the graduate and undergraduate levels, in all modalities.
• Craft and implement a comprehensive marketing strategy with appropriate resources.
 architecture firm owned by the sons of Frederick
Law Olmsted, designer of New York City’s Central
Park. (Few other campus master plans could include
references to Olmsted, W.C. Handy, the Rolling
Stones, and The Civil Wars.)

Their plan was a distinctive beginning, but it is now

90 years old and today’s University has inherited
Living new challenges: accessibility is lacking inside
and between buildings and event venues, our
growth has meant the loss of numerous outdoor
intersection and gathering spaces that were
key to the original plan, and parking was, in 1929,
an amusing afterthought. Their plan separated
Learning student living and learning neighborhoods with a
park, amphitheater, and multiple road crossings as
critical links. The current location of the residential
experience has affected the impact of that “central
park”—it is now primarily a pedestrian corridor—
and a key “threshold” in the transition from living
to learning is the currently vacated LaGrange
Residence Hall.
Above: The Olmsted Brothers firm’s plan for Florence State Teachers
College, 1929, functionally created two campus neighborhoods In addition, several key buildings have been
bisected by a central park. repurposed for academic use: Keller and Willingham
Hall were “dormitories,” Communications was
a gymnasium, and the Math Building was the
Below: Currently, two major zones exist, but the residential Teacher College training school. This means
neighborhood across Circular Road feels separated from the rest of that many of our academic buildings were not
campus. originally designed for instruction, let alone for
contemporary learning experiences and the creation
of academic communities. While we take pride in
our adaptability, the new science building and the
nursing building currently under construction have
created a clear contrast between adaptation
and purposeful design–and they have heightened
expectations.

Growth has also highlighted the need for a clearer,

shared, and coherent vision of who we wish to be.
Learning We will pursue an institutional identity as a strong
regional and Division-I athletics institution. This, in
turn, will be based on competitive (both in selection
and in quality) programs and teams that are
student-focused and attractive beyond the campus
boundaries and the immediate area. But we will
also acknowledge that strong programs can result
in inefficient space use and we will ensure that
Living existing space resources are meeting University
goals.

A focus on strong programs can also leave

some students at risk, especially those who are
undeclared, have not gained entry into desired
programs, or fail to make or start on an athletic
team. UNA will nurture institutional involvement,

Campus Master Plan Summary • 5

 attachment, and identity along with building
affinity with “academic homes“ as core
components of invested learning so critical to
student success.

Laying a foundation for these efforts, our planning

process has helped us identify some strategic
relocations and options for addressing our
most critical capital and programmatic needs:
engineering technology, math, music, lab school,
and residence hall renovations. These are included
in this campus master plan, but, most important, the
University of North Alabama Campus Master Plan
ensures intentionality and cohesiveness in these
plans and “stitches together” an experience for
all students across all programs.

Finally, UNA should be clearly identifiable as a

university neighborhood within Florence’s “city of
neighborhoods” concept. That includes:

• identifying boundaries and points of arrival;

• cultivating long views that invite folks to
campus, help them find their way, and build
strong memories;
• highlighting iconic places like the lion habitat,
fountain, and Shelby Way.

As good neighbors, we will continue to

collaborate for efficiency around common
needs like green spaces and beltways, parking,
circulation, and housing. We will also continue
to develop University-city program and co-
branding opportunities that benefit our
students and community members and excite
prospective temporary or permanent residents:
entrepreneurship, entertainment, hospitality, music,
culinary arts, and small business development.
These efforts are consistent with the economic
development strategy of the City of Florence.

Florence and the Shoals: Scenic, energetic, historic, and

entrepreneurial.
Campus Master Plan Concept
The principle aim of our campus master plan is to shape an intentional student experience and foster success by building
on existing strengths—strong programs and a beautiful campus—while creating “flow”, pause, and institutional identity at
multiple levels.
• Classes, bands, ensembles, and teams;
• Shared first-year experiences, residence life, and student organizations;
• Dining, gathering, seamless services, cross-disciplinary programs, and shared approaches to learning;
• Events, competitions, performances, exhibits, regional and local partnerships.

Our enrollment and campus growth require a new physical response to achieve that aim. Our strategy is to build a coherent
university through five linked neighborhoods (see below). Those neighborhoods are connected to one another through
pathways, long views, and thresholds—carefully considered points of entry. Each neighborhood has a general intent or “reason
to be there” and possesses features that draw students, encourage them to linger, and create engagement around academic
or community-building activities known to promote student success. Among those features, we will accentuate collaborative,
active, cross-discipline, or experimental learning environments to create a campus-wide learning environment. And each
neighborhood will include outdoor gathering spaces that both reflect the activity indoors and the diverse interests of our
campus community.

Housing
Athletics

Founders Hill

“STEEM”
Arrival, Core,
and Arts

Neighborhood Pine Street Internal path/threshold External gateway Activity center

Campus Master Plan Summary • 7

 UNA Neighborhoods: Arrival, Core Activity, Arts
Intent and Features

• Create an easily navigable and memorable

arrival and welcome that supports the desired
narrative about the UNA experience.
• Provide for seamless transactions for all
students through an efficient one-stop and
student services center.
• Link our two student activity centers and
revitalize the Guillot University Center with a
new entry and more student opportunity and
event space.
• Improve the quantity and quality of space for
music in a manner that increases visibility of
and access to all the arts.

We will maintain the view of Rogers Hall from

Court Street as the principle arrival point at UNA.
That includes ensuring that trees and shrubs are
trimmed and our entry feature sign is visible from
the intersection at East Irvine. We will work with the
City to add navigational signs to guest parking to
the east and events to the west.

Campus community members and guests arriving

on Pine Street will encounter a more clearly defined
University thru-way, including light poles, banners,
gateways, and crossings designed to calm traffic
and improve both safety and UNA identity.

Future work on guest parking will reconfigure

the existing lot to create separate entry and
exit lanes separated by a boulevard that directs
The view north at Court and East Irvine Streets should be “framed” the view toward iconic Laura M. Harrison Plaza.
and preserved as the key arrival moment. Parking spaces east of Wendell W. Gunn University
Commons will be reserved for admissions guests.

Pine Street is now the major vehicular corridor through the UNA campus. Left to right: New gateways at West Irvine and
Mattielou would mark the borders of the University neighborhood; visible and distinctive colored and textured crosswalks
and large landing areas would replace curb cuts and painted crossings; distinct light poles and UNA banners would delineate
the campus, and landscaping/pruning would make campus buildings more noticeable.
 The Admissions functions currently located in
Commons Coby Hall will be relocated to the Wendell W. Gunn
1st Commons. This move will situate the prospective
student visit in a prominent, visible student activity
center closer to the core of the campus. The success
Bookstore of this relocation depends on a number of near- and
long-term collateral actions:
1. Adding navigational signs along East Irvine
Starbucks
at Court and Seminary and guest parking as
already noted.
UNA
One-stop and Chick-fil-A 2. Reviewing the existing wheelchair access to
Mane Card determine if a more direct route is possible.
3. Relocating the banking operation from the
UNA welcome first floor of the Commons to the GUC.
desk 4. Re-branding the interior and the existing
banking desk and rotating that desk to face
Welcome center the front doors and serve as a University
Welcome Center.
5. Allocating the entire second floor for
Commons
admissions functions, requiring a total of
2nd about 5,500 assignable square feet for
an “admissions guest center” comprising
reception area, small and large family
meeting rooms, a media presentation room
seating 75, and admissions counselors’
offices and for support spaces including,
Admissions guest center student worker spaces, a call center, and a
work/materials assembly space.
Admissions
The Commons will also be the home of a
new one-stop student services center,
with a first-floor kiosk—concierge—help
desk intended to resolve the majority of
student questions about financial aid, billing,
registration, records, and related matters.
They will share an area with the Mane Card.

Remaining student services functions will all

Kiosk-concierge-help be located on the third floor. Students will first
Commons
desk encounter a shared area with three service
3rd
desks: the bursar’s window, registrar, and
financial aid. Assistance is provided at those
desks, with more complex issues resolved
“back-of-house.” The purpose of this co-
location is to eliminate students’ bouncing
between two locations, reduce frustration,
Student and promote the capacity to work together
Services Center across service areas to resolve student issues
quickly.

Service center concept Throughout the Commons, environmental

graphics will illustrate the student experience
at UNA and highlight successful graduates.

Campus Master Plan Summary • 9

 One of the highest priorities among all constituent
groups during our planning process was creating
New entrance options New loading dock noteworthy campus gathering spots, both those
that are purposeful and those that are more
Event lobby “mindful” or reflective and restorative. In particular,
there was a clear desire to revitalize the Guillot
Meeting University Center. Highlighted by the Student
rooms and Engagement area, food court, and game room, the
event support GUC is otherwise a banquet hall and office complex
poorly linked by uninviting entrances from the west,
rather dreary corridors, and blocked views.

Food court Student

We will take a combination of steps, including
below activity/study internal reallocation of space, renovation, and site
work to create traffic and student involvement.

1. All Student Affairs division offices on the

Reallocation of space and new entrances on the second floor of second floor will be relocated to Lafayette Hall
Guillot University Center are aimed at creating visible student next door. A landscaped arcade (reminiscent
activity. of the original campus plan in that location)
and new northeast doors will connect the two
buildings. Within Lafayette, critical student-
facing functions like career development will be
located closest to the GUC.
2. Those vacated offices will be repurposed as
much-needed meeting rooms and support
space for events in the banquet halls.
3. The Loft meeting room will become student
activity, organization, and/or study space. This
room overlooks the food court and Shelby Way
entrance below and will be part of reconceiving
the building as an activity center.
4. Existing walls on the west side balcony
overlooking the food court will be removed to
create a strong vertical connection between
Guillot University Center from Founders Hill neighborhood (above) floors.
and to left from above Pine Street (below). 5. Two options will be explored for creating a new
entry from the west side, both of which are
intended to create a better link to the Commons
and a reconfigured parking area on that side
of the GUC. The new location for the banking
operation depends to some extent on the
option selected since access from the parking
lot on the west is desirable.
• The first option adds a lobby and entrance
that replaces the loading dock, which is
relocated to the northwest corner of the
building. Entry to the GUC leads to views of
Shelby Way, the amphitheater, and the food
court.
• The second replaces the existing entrance
at the mail room loading dock with a more
prominent and inviting entrance and provides
diagonal access to the food court balcony.
 6. The existing mail boxes will be removed and the
print/copy center will be relocated there.
7. New furniture in the food court will provide
greater variety in seating and employ UNA
colors to create more institutional spirit,
something planning participants also longed for.
8. The patio facing Shelby Way will become a
more inviting gathering area with umbrellas
and new seating arrangements; the facade and
2nd Floor entrance on that side will have a new look that
1st Floor
reflects the re-invigorated interior.

Two independent inquiries have affirmed that

our enormously successful music program is
woefully short of quality instructional space. The
number of majors, minors, and band members
has exceeded the capacity of the existing Music
Building. Moreover, the design of that building and
the adjoining Art Building—all rooms are entered
directly from the exterior on both floors—precludes
creating common, shared, or “third spaces” where
students and faculty interact outside classrooms
Conceptual floor plans and renderings for the renovation and or studios. In short, these buildings limit students’
expansion of the Music Building. Views from above the existing parking creating academic homes or communities in one of
area west of Guillot University Center. our largest programs.

As shown above left, additions (about 25,000 gsf)

would create sufficient spaces for (1.) instrumental,
band, or choral practice and (2.) individual and small
ensemble practice rooms. Those would replace
inadequate and badly situated spaces (3.) currently
located in the center of the building, affording
the opportunity to create internal circulation
and student-faculty interaction spaces. Similarly,
relocating classrooms in the art wing would create
(4.) a two-story space for student gathering and for
impromptu performances and exhibits highlighting
the intersection of music, art, and theater. This
would also allow 5.) reconfiguring faculty offices for
better access( and engagement with those third
spaces.

A plaza and art garden on the exterior reflect the

arts inside. We intend for this corner of West Irvine
and Pine to become an attraction for residents of
Florence, an extension of the downtown area mere
blocks away, and the site for both scheduled and
serendipitous fine and performing arts activities.

A future addition to this arts neighborhood could

include (6.) a recital hall/black box performance
venue that would complement the George S.
Lindsey Theatre and allow existing spaces to more
effectively be used as theater support for the
Norton Auditorium .

Campus Master Plan Summary • 11

UNA Neighborhoods: Founders Hill
Intent and Features

• Ensure that all students experience

contemporary core learning environments.
• Create a visible student success center and
home for the Center for Social Inclusion in the
Library.
• Convert the Stevens Hall lecture auditorium to
an active and collaborative learning space.
• Relocate faculty offices from Willingham to
make third spaces” for students and faculty in
remaining programs.
• Develop a pedestrian corridor from Stevens
Hall to the Memorial Amphitheater and Collier
Library.
• Improve the look and functionality of seating at
the Amphitheater.

In many regards, the “Founders Hill” neighborhood

becomes an exemplar for contemporary pedagogy
and learning spaces that we wish all UNA students
to experience. That began with our efforts to
refresh and refurbish the Collier Library. As a
result, the Library has become much more inviting
and has provided us the foundation for the next
step: creating a contemporary student success
center in a location that draws students and
encourages them to linger.

Relocated from the Gunn Commons to the

mezzanine level of Collier, the center is a visible
and attractive home for advising, writing, tutoring,
math, and the first-year experience (see floor plan
and character images, left and below.) The center
is embedded in a place that allows staff to observe
learning strategies and study skills.

The student success center will also be the

inaugural home of the new Center for Social
Inclusion. That Center is perceived as a hub for
diverse UNA communities and as an example
of building student success through integrated
academic, support, and co-curricular programs
Student Success Center floor plan.
around the diverse experiences our students bring
to UNA.

Reception Collaboration Visibility from below Consultation rooms

 The second academic transformation on Founders
Hill is our reconfiguring the Stevens Hall lecture
auditorium into one or two active learning
classrooms. These spaces are designed to promote
the application of design thinking: inspiration,
ideation, and implementation. Multiple project
team spaces for eight students are furnished with
tables, chairs, whiteboards, and monitors tied to a
central instructor’s station. The tiered room allows
for visibility, observation, access, and mentoring
fostering immediate feedback.

Willingham Hall is one of the original Teachers

College dorms and is exclusively faculty offices for
programs in the humanities. The building’s structure
results in small rooms and narrow corridors, layouts
that don’t support study and engagement spaces
promoting student success. Our intention is to
relocate some faculty offices to spaces that will
be vacated as part of this campus master plan,
including Stevens and Bibb Graves Halls. Remaining
offices can be redesigned, within structural
limitations, to shape a better academic experience
within the programs that remain in the building.

The Math Building, the original Kilby Lab School,

has exceeded its useful life and requires extensive
maintenance to remain in use. Ideally, a new
The outdated lecture auditorium in Stevens Hall is under-used
academic building housing math and engineering
and inefficient space. It can be transformed into a project based
technology programs can be constructed in the
learning environment, illustrated above.. STEEM neighborhood. Until that happens, we are
presuming the need to relocate the Math program
temporarily to Stevens Hall after the Nursing
program occupies its new facility.

Because the Math Building houses several heavily

New seating tiers create a better audience experience and used classrooms, the success of our efforts hinges
flexibility for the Memorial Amphitheater. on effective assignment of classrooms across
campus. That is, we will need to use centralized
scheduling to optimize our use of instructional
space.

Demolishing the Math Building will allow us to

resolve one of the major pedestrian-vehicle conflict
zones on our campus. We will relocate the parking
lot southeast of Stevens Hall to the Math site along
Circular Road and create a new pedestrian-friendly
green space and new pathways. That will include
building grassy tiers for seating at the Amphitheater,
a landmark threshold between two neighborhoods.
This work will also create a new standard for
sidewalks, which will be fewer and wider, aiming for
no less than 6 feet wide to allow easy passing and
conversation while walking.

Campus Master Plan Summary • 13

 UNA Neighborhoods: STEEM
Intent and Features

• Fully develop the parcel within Oakview Circle

and adjoining campus property.
• Increase UNA’s visibility and presence on the
west side of Pine Street.
• Demonstrate ongoing commitment to the lab
school concept with a new building.
• Create an outdoor space that is engaging for
all the age groups that are the focus of this
neighborhood.

UNA needs to optimize the use of developable

land. Noteworthy here is the relatively inefficient
use of the property within Oakview Circle on the
west side of Pine Street. The new science building
clearly anchors that neighborhood as does the
presence of the Kilby School. We will also need
to find homes for our programs in engineering
technology and math. This combination suggests a
neighborhood theme related to science, technology,
engineering, education, and math (STEEM).

Like the original lab school, now the Math Building,

the current Kilby School is outdated, not ADA
compliant, too small, and poorly configured for
today’s educational approaches. The school will
be demolished and a new lab school constructed
farther west. To ensure sufficient space, the
counseling center and Delta Chi houses will be
removed. (Counseling services have been relocated
to Rice Hall.)

Relocating the school creates space for a new

academic building along Pine Street, occupying
Increasing both UNA’s presence and brand on Pine Street is an approximately the same footprint as the science
important part of creating a University neighborhood. View above building. This new building would include learning
is at the George S. Lindsey Theatre. spaces specific to the programs within but available
to all UNA students. Examples include a virtual
reality innovation visualization lab, which could also
draw students from the Communications program
New York Hall of Science across Pine Street.
playground, right.
Those three structures create a neighborhood
Landscape Structures’ Rhapsody courtyard, which will include wide pathways, plazas,
Hero outdoor musical instruments, and green spaces. The signature element of this
below. courtyard is a thematic playground. The equipment
in the playground (see images left) might include
musical instruments, outdoor chalkboards, pulleys,
levers, screws, inclined planes, and models of the
solar system. Our intent is four-fold: to illustrate the
intersection between math, science, engineering ,
and the arts; to attract school children to science,
technology, and music; to encourage interaction
between Kilby and UNA students; and to create a
destination inviting to Florence families.
 UNA Neighborhoods: Student Housing
Intent and Features

• Implement the priority recommendations of the

residence life experience plan.
• Connect the housing neighborhood to the core
of campus.
• Improve the function and visibility of the
Student Recreation Center.

Facing a number of decisions about student housing

facilities and anticipating a campus master plan,
UNA conducted a residence life experience plan
in 2018. Our goal was to develop the appropriate
programmatic vision for the living and learning
experience of our residential students and, then,
to assess existing residential facilities for their
effective support and enhancement of this program.

Major elements of UNA’s residence life program

include:

UNA residence life experience plan concept and character images. 1. a recognized need to educate and support
students, especially iGen students, into
independence through a sequenced,
developmental living experience;
2. a desire to use the residential experience
to create cross-, multi-, or interdisciplinary
outdoor learning opportunities;
engagement 3. prioritized spaces that integrate communities
around a common experience (community
connecting kitchens, makerspaces, lab/learning spaces);
points 4. a recognized need for housing options scaled to
affinity groups (Greek village,interest groups);
5. a need to ensure that housing assignments and
policies reinforce the campus-wide focus on
diversity and inclusion.

Three short-term phases of facilities work help

us achieve these goals. The first is renovation
reno/expansion of LaGrange Hall yielding 210 beds of multi-
generational housing, including honors and
opportunities academic program communities. In addition, a
pass-through lobby will be designed to provide
threshold a threshold from Shelby Way to the residential
communities to create a better path and visual
connection between the two neighborhoods.

The second project would entail minor

modifications to Mattielou and Olive Halls—
furniture, finishes, and equipment—to create
more learner-focused spaces and to invite
second-year students to reside there. This is not
intended to impact total capacity in either building.
Programmatically, UNA will also consider a second
year experience and residence requirement that will
Shelby Way define the most appropriate community spaces.

Campus Master Plan Summary • 15

 The third project is the total renovation of Rice and
Rivers Halls (279 beds and 375 beds, respectively)
for first- and second-year students. Community
building components might include music practice
rooms, recording studios, a theater, e-sports, and
gaming areas. The kitchen and Mane Market will
be renovated and a trellised outdoor dining arcade
added to the west side of the Market. Recently, the
student counseling office has been relocated to
the bottom floor of Rice Hall from an inaccessible
location on Oakview Circle.

Members of fraternities and sororities constitute

Renovation of LaGrange Residence Hall includes a pass-through 14% of all undergraduates. Their numbers are
lobby that will provide a threshold from Shelby Way to the larger than any of our academic majors and all
residential neighborhood. our athletic teams and interest is growing. Their
housing experience currently ranges from no
dedicated housing to houses owned by the chapter
on property the chapter also owns. Our plan for
developing Greek life includes an immediate phase
of offering floors of existing residence halls for
chapter members to live together. In the future,
we will acquire land and expand the existing village
at the Cypress-Larimore-Locust site currently
occupied by four chapter houses.

The pass-through lobby in LaGrange is the first of

two measures to improve the sense of connection
across Circular Road. The second is modifying and
expanding the southwest corner of the Student
Recreation Center to create more visibility for
activities inside and to create a new entrance. That
visibility is intended to provide visual relief from
what is now a large brick wall, bring the residential
neighborhood closer to LaGrange and the campus
core, and make the SRC more inviting from the west
and Pine Street, especially at night when the new
facade creates a beacon of activity. Ideally, this work
entails an expansion that becomes a second pass-
through. This scope would require relocating UNA’s
observatory, which functions poorly now because of
urban light pollution.

As elsewhere on Pine Street, the pedestrian

crossing between housing and Flowers Hall will be
upgraded to include larger landing spots, light poles
and banners, landscaping to maximize visibility, and
textured and colored crosswalks.
The southwest corner of the Student Recreation Center viewed
from Pine Street (top left) and examples of more inviting and
visible facades.
UNA Neighborhoods: Athletics
Intent and Features

• Further develop the field sports complex at Cox

Creek Parkway.
• Expand space for the Kinesiology program.

When funding is available, we will move the

baseball field to Cox Creek Parkway, adjacent
the UNA softball field already there. This creates
more frequent use of that field complex and frees
up flat, developable land on campus. We have not
yet determined the long-term use of the current
baseball field site. For the immediate future, we
will create a surface parking lot with approximately
340 spaces and evaluate how to assign parking to
reduce traffic and the number and size of lots in
the middle of campus. Pushing parking lots to the
perimeter where possible is a common principle in
campus planning.

We have leased a portion of a medical arts building

at East Tuscaloosa and North Seminary as a new
site for our campus health services. This building
was designed for health care and is a significant
improvement over Bennett Infirmary. Approximately
five blocks from the amphitheater, it balances
proximity and off-campus privacy.

The location of Bennett creates the opportunity

to add space to our Kinesiology Program, housed
in Flowers Hall just across Circular Way. Bennett
will be renovated into a new human performance
laboratory.

Campus Master Plan Summary • 17

UNA in the City of Florence
Intent and Features

• Create an identifiable University neighborhood

that is distinct and well-defined while feeling
open and inviting.
• Seek opportunities for off-campus sites that
make sense programmatically and financially.
• Emphasize opportunities that foster regional
development and place identity.
Softball and baseball
2.25 mi.
We believe that clearly defined campus boundaries
promote a sense of belonging, pride in place, and
can help create memories associated with arriving
and departing. Regrettably, boundaries have also
become a necessary way to enhance vigilance -
assurance in knowing who is and is not supposed
to be on campus. Gates, walls, and fences are not
Maintenance and suited for UNA. Our boundaries will be delineated by
planning signs, lighting, landscaping, architectural style, and a
general campus feel and character.

Our boundaries are and will remain permeable with

.5 mi. a desired flow to and from the City of Florence
Student and our region. Because we are embedded in
Apartments
Florence, we have sought and will continue to seek
opportunities to locate programs and services in
town as appropriate. Those are indicated on the
map to the left.
Football
Stadium
First and foremost, they should create a total
University of experience for students that is difficult or too
North Alabama costly to create on campus. “Away spaces” like the
Mane Room and the Connie D. McKinney Center
become a valuable part of the total UNA learning
environment. They can also prevent unwanted
Health Center delays and duplication when the city affords more
immediate, ready-made options that contribute to
our nimbleness, resilience, and sustainability as an
Entertainment institution.
Industries
Hospitality,
Design and Second, these spaces should provide opportunities
Culinary Arts for city residents, enterprises, and leaders. Like
other colleges and universities, we think small
business development, incubator, or innovation
centers ought to be visible to and embedded among
Small Business Development
and Innovation those they are targeting. These partnerships and
collaborative endeavors can also be “co-branded” as
experiments in economic, community, and cultural
development.

Third, in some cases expediency, flexibility, cost

effectiveness, and efficiency can lead to use of
off-campus space for operations like maintenance,
shared use of sports facilities, parks, trails, and
greenways, parking, and housing. Likewise, UNA
athletic competitions, performances, exhibits, and
other events provide opportunities for the city
without duplicating efforts or expense.
Conceptual Renderings: Views from Pine Street

Above: University district entry at Pine and West

Irvine - Norton Auditorium to right.

Right and below: Arts neighborhood

outdoor commons - Norton Auditorium right
foreground.

Campus Master Plan Summary • 19

Conceptual Renderings: GUC/Commons

Guillot University Center-Gunn Commons-Arts plaza and pathways, viewed from GUC with Gunn
Commons to left.
Conceptual Renderings: GUC - Amphitheater

Overhead view from Memorial Amphitheater (top). Guillot University Center facade and patio(bottom).

Campus Master Plan Summary • 21

Planning Level Sequencing and Cost Estimates
CAN DO SHOULD PLAN
Design and complete Complete design for KEY
Student Success Center. Student Services Center
Contingent project groupings are shown in the
Design and complete same color.
Admissions relocation. Plan relocation of Math to
Stevens Hall and develop Non-contingent projects are shown without
Complete and occupy plan for current Math site. color.
Nursing building. Begin pre-design work on Groupings are not prioritized.
new Kilby School.
Complete minor
renovations at Mattielou Complete design and
and Olive. construction documents
Relocate Baseball Field for LaGrange renovation.
and construct parking on
existing site. Begin pre-design work on
Music Building expansion
Renovate Stevens Hall and renovation.
lecture room.
Reconstruct amphitheater
seating. CAN DO SHOULD PLAN
Complete design and
Construct Student Services
construction documents
Center
for GUC and Lafayette,
including site work to west
Relocate Math to Stevens Complete design and
Hall; demo Math Building construction documents
for Rice, Rivers, and Mane
Construct new parking
Market renovations.
lot and site work between
Stevens and Collier.
Complete design and
construction documents
Complete LaGrange for Math/Engineering
renovation. Technology.
Develop design for minor
Construct Music addition. renovations of vacated
spaces in Stevens, Bibb
Occupy Music addition and Graves, and Willingham.
complete renovation of
existing.

CAN DO SHOULD PLAN

Complete construction Planning, property
Ongoing: of Math/Engineering acquisition, and
Technology. construction of Greek
light poles and Complete minor Village.
renovations of Stevens,
banners,arrival points, Bibb Graves, and
Willingham.
widening sidewalks,
Construct Kilby School.
purchasing outdoor furniture
Occupy LaGrange.
and umbrellas Complete renovation
and expansion of GUC,
Lafayette, Rice, Rivers, and
Mane Market.
 Estimate
Project Project Scope and Cost Basis
2019 $
Student Success Renovation: Repurpose existing work area on library mezzanine
$.7 M - $1 M
Center (4,600 gross square feet (gsf) x $150-$200)
Renovation: Second floor, Wendell W. Gunn Commons
Admissions $1.3 M - $1.8 M
(9,000 gsf x $150 - $200)
Student Services Renovation: Second floor, Wendell W. Gunn Commons
$1 M - $1.4 M
Center (6,800 gsf x $150 - $200)
Renovation: Total renovation 210 beds plus pass-through lobby
LaGrange Hall $9.6 M - $11 M
$45,000 - $51,600 per bed
Renovation: Offices and meeting spaces for Student Affairs
Lafayette Hall $1.3 M - $2 M
12,000 gsf x $100 - $150 plus contingency for 3-stop elevator
New: Add lobby, new entrance, relocate loading dock
$2.5 M - $5 M
(14,000 gsf x $175 - $350)
Contingent project groupings

Guillot Univer- Renovation: Entry and 3rd floor circulation

$.6 M - $1 M
sity Commons (6,300 gsf x $100 - $150)
Parking and Commons connection
$1.5 M - $2 M
(approx. 50,000 sf x $38 + )
Rivers Hall Renovation: Total renovation 375 beds $43,000 - $48,000 per bed $16 M - $18 M
Rice Hall Renovation: Total renovation 279 beds $44,000 - $49,000 per bed $12 M- $13 M
Renovate: Update equipment, fixtures, finishes, furniture; add outdoor
Mane Market
seating $3.3 M - $3.7 M
and Kitchen
(15,000 assignable square feet x $220 - $250)
Old Kilby School Demolition (26,000 gsf x $7 - $10) $.2 M - $.3 M
New: Single story, classroooms, cafeteria, gym, music, multi-purpose com-
New Kilby
mons $8.6 M - $13 M
School
(43,000 gsf x $2o0 - $300)
Math/Engineer- New: Approx. 20,000 assignable square feet at 65% efficiency
$9.2 M - $14 M
ing Technology (31,000 gsf x $300 - $450)
Renovation: Create third spaces and resource rooms for programs, 33% of
Willingham Hall total gsf $.5 M - $.8 M
(5,500 gsf x $100 - $150)
Math Building Demolition (21,000 gsf x $7 - $10) $.2 M - $.3 M
Site work from
New: Green space, pathways, and grass tiered seating approx. 95,000 total
Stevens Hall to
sf x 1/3 impacted $1 M - $1.1 M
Amphitheater
(31,350 sf x $38)
seating
Parking lot at
New: Approx. 100 - 125 surface spaces x $3,200 $.3 M - $.4 M
Math site
New: Add large group, small group, and individual practice rooms
Non-contingent projects

(25,000 gsf x $375 - $500) $9.4 M - $12.5 M

Music Building Renovation: Reconfigure interior spaces, enclose exterior walkways and
entrances $9 M - $11 M
(30,000 gsf x $300 - $350)
Stevens Hall Renovation: Alter tiers and create team project spaces
$.75 M - $1.3 M
Lecture Room (5,000 sf x $150 - $250)
Mattielou and
Renovation: Minor renovation includes finishes, furniture, and equipment $.3 M- $.4 M
Olive Hall
Greek Village New: 10 buildings, 16 beds each $45,000 -$55,000 per bed $7.2 M - $8.8 M
Parking lot at
New: Approx. 320-350 surface spaces x $3,200 $1 M - $1.1 M
baseball site
Total $97.5 M - $125 M

Campus Master Plan Summary • 23

Notes on Cost Estimating

Costs estimates for campus master planning projects must be considered with great caution for a num-
ber of reasons: the depth of understanding of the project scope, materials, site conditions, etc.; the lack
of certainty about actual construction dates and timelines; changes in cost and availability of materials
and labor, campus needs, building codes, and other factors over time.

Regional variations are also a factor; estimates have been based on local knowledge and experiences
wherever possible.

Site work is estimated at an overall cost of $38 per square foot based on previous projects. Surface park-
ing lots are estimated at $3,200 per space.

Residence hall construction can be estimated on a per room or a square foot basis. Cost estimates for
UNA use a cost range per bed based on recent Credo projects.

Renovation costs depend on the scope of work. Total renovation refers to new windows, doors, HVAC,
electrical and plumbing, along with fixtures, finishes, and furniture. Elevators are estimated at about
$50,000 per stop.

Construction cost estimates are based on the different levels of complexity typical in higher education
facilities: requirements for design specialists, specialty trades, extensive utility requirements, etc. The
ranges used here are shown below. These estimates do not include new site development, hazardous
materials cleanup, or fixtures, furnishings, and equipment.

Level of
Project Type Low Estimate High Estimate
Complexity

Science
Performance
High Visual arts $375 $575
Dining
Natatorium

Library
Learning commons
Maker space
Mid $250 $500
Academic
Recreation
Athletic

Office
Low Residence hall $175 $350
Meeting/conference