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  #221  
Old Posted May 21, 2013, 4:05 PM
rolltide2013 rolltide2013 is offline
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Hey guys,

I've been reading this board for some time and finally decided to make an account. It's great that there are other Bama campus/construction enthusiasts.
I've noticed several new things this summer as well.

It looks like they're beginning the fountain at the engineering quad. They have the middle of the quad fenced off.

The new sorority houses and new street look to be nearly completed. They are MASSIVE!

The water center is coming along nicely as well as the parking deck behind it.

I am curious as to what they're building near the nursing building. It looks like they are constructing an entire building by the size of the area fenced off

Also, several things have been made in the city recently also. A Gander Mountain and Cheddars have recently been opened. The Gander Mountain needs a stop light or something to me. It seems so dangerous that the entrance is just a median. I imagine many wrecks will happen there.

It looks like they are beginning the foundation work on the embassy suites.

Apartments seem to be popping up every day. The huge complex at the old Hobby Lobby location is coming along nicely. I think it will look really nice when it's done.

Several smaller loft complexes have been popping up in downtown.

They are currently renovating old offices in the PNC tower downtown to turn into apartments.

The Rounders renovation was recently completed and the Chipotle on the strip recently opened.

Roll Tide
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  #222  
Old Posted May 21, 2013, 6:48 PM
ttownfeen ttownfeen is offline
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Welcome rolltide! Glad to get some updates since I don't live in Tuscaloosa anymore. Be sure to also peruse and update the Tuscaloosa discussion and development threads for more news and pictures.

Quote:
I am curious as to what they're building near the nursing building. It looks like they are constructing an entire building by the size of the area fenced off
Is the lot at the corner of University and Fifth Avenue? I believe that's where the new UA System headquarters will be going up.
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  #223  
Old Posted May 21, 2013, 8:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ttownfeen View Post
Welcome rolltide! Glad to get some updates since I don't live in Tuscaloosa anymore. Be sure to also peruse and update the Tuscaloosa discussion and development threads for more news and pictures.



Is the lot at the corner of University and Fifth Avenue? I believe that's where the new UA System headquarters will be going up.
That's what I was thinking. I hate the system's habit of announcing project and then waiting years to start them...
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  #224  
Old Posted May 26, 2013, 11:27 PM
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I think they may finally be tearing down the student media building. It is fenced off and there is construction equipment near it.
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  #225  
Old Posted May 27, 2013, 12:33 AM
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Originally Posted by rolltide2013 View Post
I think they may finally be tearing down the student media building. It is fenced off and there is construction equipment near it.
The one next to the stadium?

--------------------------

Btw, I've got some construction pics I took today that I'll post later.
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  #226  
Old Posted May 27, 2013, 1:26 AM
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UA Construction as of May 26, 2013

I took these today around campus.

V What should be the new UA System office building at the corner of University and 5th V



V The new weight facility at the athletics complex V



V The memorial wall for national championship winning coaches V



V The campus master plan shows this lot becoming a parking deck (the lot next to The Nat and across Bryant from Hotel Capstone V



V This building on the Bryce property next to the National Water Center is receiving a new roof; I assume the University has plans to use it for offices or something V



V The backside of the National Water Center is receiving its façade. I had a picture of the front of it, but for whatever reason it didn't upload :/ V



V The Riverside Parking Deck V





V Presidential Village residential and student center construction V





V Expansion construction at The Ferg; once again, a couple of my pictures didn't upload, so this is all you get. V



V Last phase of the Science and Engineering Complex V



V Construction taking place on the future fountain in front of Shelby Hall V



V What's left of the Kilgore House.... V




Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Kilgore site supposed to be a new dining hall? Either it or the location that I posted a picture of that is between the SEC and Hackberry.

Last edited by SpawnOfVulcan; May 27, 2013 at 4:14 AM.
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  #227  
Old Posted May 27, 2013, 4:02 AM
rolltide2013 rolltide2013 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by quattordici View Post
The one next to the stadium?

--------------------------

Btw, I've got some construction pics I took today that I'll post later.
Yes, that's the one. Thanks for the pics. I think that the Bryce building that you have taken a picture of may actually be the new home of the student media. The construction you have of the engineering quad is for a fountain and sitting area. I think it will be nice to have something to bring the quad together and showcase how grand it is. I had a professor complain about the fountain package costing somewhere around $1.8MM. Although, he did say that it included a bunch of site work and landscaping for the engineering quad. I noticed that they have already planted many new trees and bushes in the area. Also, the new dining hall is supposed to go right on top of where the Kilgore House was according to the master plan. I wonder if they plan on cutting down all of the trees over there?

Do you guys have any idea of what you think the UA system office building will look like? I think it will look strange if they put a building facing University that doesn't have columns and doesn't appear pretty grandiose.

Last edited by rolltide2013; May 27, 2013 at 4:13 AM.
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  #228  
Old Posted May 27, 2013, 4:13 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rolltide2013 View Post
Yes, that's the one. Thanks for the pics. I think that the Bryce building that you have taken a picture of may actually be the new home of the student media. The construction you have of the engineering quad is for a fountain and sitting area. I think it will be nice to have something to bring the quad together and showcase how grand it is. I had a professor complain about the fountain package costing somewhere around $1.8MM. Although, he did say that it included a bunch of site work and landscaping for the engineering quad. I noticed that they have already planted many new trees and bushes in the area. Also, the new dining hall is supposed to go right on top of where the Kilgore House was according to the master plan. I wonder if they plan on cutting down all of the trees over there?
You're right!

I got confused because a few of my pictures didn't upload to Tumblr from my phone.... I'll make the changes.

I hope they don't cut them down. I notice the University typically tries not to cut them down unless they have to.
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  #229  
Old Posted May 30, 2013, 7:17 PM
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Here's a picture of the Student Media Building being torn down.



Sidewalk work next to the nursing building

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  #230  
Old Posted Jun 1, 2013, 9:50 PM
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Some updates:

University Blvd pedestrian/bike improvements (yesterday):



Ferg expansion (today):



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  #231  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2013, 3:28 AM
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I found where the new Student Media Building is while I was running tonight. It's in a former Bryce building next to the parking lot at the McFarland exit for Campus Drive.
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  #232  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2013, 4:59 AM
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The first UA facility to inhabit the Bryce property is the CW. Coincidence...?
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  #233  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2013, 5:02 AM
ttownfeen ttownfeen is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by quattordici View Post
Some updates:

University Blvd pedestrian/bike improvements (yesterday):
It's great to see the bike lanes getting extended. If bike lanes were installed along University Blvd from downtown all the way to Cottondale, that would really help give Tuscaloosa an urbane feel.
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  #234  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2013, 6:22 AM
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It's great to see the bike lanes getting extended. If bike lanes were installed along University Blvd from downtown all the way to Cottondale, that would really help give Tuscaloosa an urbane feel.
I hope the connect the campus network to the lanes along McFarland. If they could do that, there'd be at least a few students commuting via bike or foot from those three bigger housing developments at McFarland and 15th.
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  #235  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2013, 5:01 PM
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BTW, the UA men's golf team won the NCAA national championship! One of the athletes is a former student of mine, too
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  #236  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2013, 6:27 PM
rolltide2013 rolltide2013 is offline
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Roll Tide! It's pretty neat that you can say that you taught a champion golfer! Btw, I think this is the first Men's non football national championship in the history of UA. Alabama really does seem to be on a momentous roll.
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  #237  
Old Posted Jun 2, 2013, 7:25 PM
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Roll Tide! It's pretty neat that you can say that you taught a champion golfer! Btw, I think this is the first Men's non football national championship in the history of UA. Alabama really does seem to be on a momentous roll.
Haha, well, by now I've taught both a championship winning gymnast and now a championship winning golfer. I think you're right about that, the men's non football championship, that is.
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  #238  
Old Posted Jun 7, 2013, 2:03 AM
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So, I spoke to my lecturer (who is a fluvial geomorphologist) that I'm teaching for this summer about what exactly the National Water Center will do once it has been completed.

We've all heard about the whole "clearinghouse" for data regarding virtually anything to do with water in the US (something that NOAA currently does not have), but there are some other things.

Apparently, the National Water Center was the result of NOAA receiving a large amount of money (pork barrel) from the feds which was contingent on NOAA using that money for something in Alabama (thank you Senator Shelby). So, NOAA pondered and decided to build a "catch-all" facility for water related activity in the US.

As previously mentioned, it will be a clearinghouse for water related data in the US. In addition, there will be some high level, intense computer modeling performed that NOAA hopes can be used to predict flooding frequency throughout the US (similar to how entities like the NHC and Colorado State attempt to predict the intensity of hurricane seasons). My department (the geography department) already has hired (last year) a faculty member who deals with computer modeling of fluvial dynamics in an effort to encourage collaboration between the department (and university) and the NWC.

The last major thing (a relative term) the NWC anticipates facilitating is a community outreach program that attempts to educate the public (specifically school age children) about water related issues and subjects.

She also mentioned that NOAA plans to employ about 200 researchers/scientists/professionals in Tuscaloosa, most of them being relocated from other NOAA facilities. My lecturer suggested that most of them would likely be relocated from Virginia; others would come from other NOAA facilities such as the NHC.
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  #239  
Old Posted Jun 7, 2013, 2:10 AM
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Construction stuffs

They seem to be doing something to the pedestrian bridge across Hackberry at Riverside. My gut feeling is that they're going to use it as the planned pedestrian bridge linking the Presidential Village residential community/student center to the Park at Manderson Landing across Jack Warner Parkway. However, they could just as easily be retrofitting it or performing some major maintenance. BUT, it looks more like they're disassembling it, not repainting it. If they do intend to use it to bridge Jack Warner I don't know what they have planned to replace the function of the bridge at its current location. I've long through that segment of Hackberry was oppressively sterile and could use some creative pedestrian improvements to better integrate it with the function of the surrounding buildings. As it is, Hackberry effectively exists as a hard divide between North Campus and the engineering "quad".

Signal construction is ongoing on University at the two pedestrian signals. They're not doing anything major afterall, just replacing the old aluminum structures with the more ornamental black ones.

Bike/walk lanes between nursing and existing lanes at the SHC is about 60% complete.

Also, a few days ago, I found a link to a PDF that outlines all construction projects on campus as far as cost and timeline goes. I'll try and find it in the next few days. Although, I do recall it saying that the Shelby Hall fountain is due to be completed in July of this year. If I recall correctly, there was not date listed for when construction on Gorgas will begin.
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  #240  
Old Posted Jun 7, 2013, 6:37 PM
rolltide2013 rolltide2013 is offline
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That all sounds great about the NOAA. One of my professors seemed really excited about it last spring. I hope that UA really starts to put out lot more research in the next few years with the water center being here and the engineering quad being completed. I wish Tuscaloosa would get a research park. I don't think Alabama can give Sen Shelby enough praise.

I think I read that the bridge is being relocated to provide a pathway to the Bryce campus? It seems odd to me to move a bridge and build a new one to the dorm instead of just building a new one somewhere else. Is the one going to the dorm too small or something? It would be pretty cool to have a pedestrian bridge going from presidential to Manderson.
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