There's a lot going on in the Auburn-Opelika metro area, which was recently ranked sixth among the nation's fastest growing small metros by Forbes.com. Forbes annual rankings are based on aspects such as population and job growth, housing starts, and personal income growth with a strong emphasis on gross metropolitan product (GMP). Over the next 5 years, the Auburn-Opelika MSA is expected to have a GMP growth of 24% and a population increase of 17%. So I thought it was time to begin a thread to discuss development in the Auburn-Opelika area.
The primary catalyist for growth in the area is
Auburn University, so I will begin with a rundown of recent, current, and future construction projects on campus.
Shelby Center for Engineering Technology
Phase I (185,000 sq. ft.) was completed earlier this year, and the building, which consists of a central section flanked by east and west wings, was officially dedicated on April 18. The future Phase II, consisting of two buildings, will add 146,000 sq. ft. to the complex.
Here are the original renderings showing how the complex will look when completed as well as close-up views of Phase I:
Source: http://www.eng.auburn.edu/admin/deve...t-gallery.html
Source: http://www.eng.auburn.edu/admin/deve...t-gallery.html
Source: http://www.eng.auburn.edu/admin/deve...t-gallery.html
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Here are images from last fall that I posted in my recent "Auburn | The Grand Tour" thread:
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Additional images from the Shelby Center webpage:
Source: http://photos.eng.auburn.edu/shelby_construction/
Source: http://photos.eng.auburn.edu/shelby_construction/
Source: http://photos.eng.auburn.edu/shelby_construction/
Source: http://photos.eng.auburn.edu/shelby_construction/
Source: http://photos.eng.auburn.edu/shelby_construction/
Source: http://photos.eng.auburn.edu/shelby_construction/
Source: http://photos.eng.auburn.edu/shelby_construction/
Source: http://photos.eng.auburn.edu/shelby_construction/
Source: http://photos.eng.auburn.edu/shelby_construction/
Source: http://photos.eng.auburn.edu/shelby_construction/
Source: http://photos.eng.auburn.edu/shelby_construction/
Source: http://photos.eng.auburn.edu/shelby_construction/
Source: http://photos.eng.auburn.edu/shelby_construction/
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Student Center
A new $50 million, 182,000-sq. ft. Student Center is being built to replace the aging Foy Union building (123,048 sq. ft.). Here are renderings of the Student Center:
Source: http://www.auburn.edu/communications...dentunion.html
Source: http://www.auburn.edu/communications...dentunion.html
Source: http://www.auburn.edu/communications...dentunion.html
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Here's a photo of the Student Center under construction last fall:
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The Village Student Housing
Construction is now underway on this $118-million student housing development that will create a new gateway on the western end of campus. This is the most expensive construction project in the school's history and, when completed, will consist of eight brick and limestone buildings with a total of 1,700 beds (by comparison, the other residential areas--the Quad Dorms and the Hill Dorms--have about 950 beds and 1,450 beds respectively). Birmingham's Williams Blackstock Architects designed the complex (they also designed the buildings of Birmingham's Metropolitan Gardens). The east-west pedestrian concourse in The Village will connect with the existing Thach Avenue pedestrian corridor.
Aerial view looking southeast:
Source: https://fp.auburn.edu/housing/docume...%20preview.pdf
Vicinity site plan (also shows the location of the future arena and dining facility):
Source: https://fp.auburn.edu/housing/docume...%20preview.pdf
Site plan:
Source: https://fp.auburn.edu/housing/docume...%20preview.pdf
View through plaza looking north:
Source: https://fp.auburn.edu/housing/docume...%20preview.pdf
View from transit stop looking south:
Source: https://fp.auburn.edu/housing/docume...%20preview.pdf
View from Wire Road at West Entrance:
Source: https://fp.auburn.edu/housing/docume...%20preview.pdf
Building 1:
Source: https://fp.auburn.edu/housing/docume...%20preview.pdf
Buildings 2 & 3:
Source: https://fp.auburn.edu/housing/docume...%20preview.pdf
Building 4:
Source: https://fp.auburn.edu/housing/docume...%20preview.pdf
Buildings 5 & 6:
Source: https://fp.auburn.edu/housing/docume...%20preview.pdf
Buildings 7 & 8:
Source: https://fp.auburn.edu/housing/docume...%20preview.pdf
West Entrance (flanked by Buildings 7 & 8):
Source: https://fp.auburn.edu/housing/docume...%20preview.pdf
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Auburn Arena
Construction will soon begin on a new $92.5 million basketball arena. The arena, with an approximate capacity of 9,600, will include over 29,000 square feet of student-athlete space, a two-court practice facility, coaches offices, the Auburn University Athletic Ticket Office, an AU Team Store, the relocated Lovelace Museum, two food courts along with many other amenities. While the new arena will have 900 fewer seats than the arena it is replacing (Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum), the seating configuration will offer better sight lines and will move fans closer to the court. The furthest seat will be just 43 feet in elevation from courtside, compared to 60 feet in elevation at Beard-Eaves, with two-thirds of the seats in the new facility being less than 27 feet in elevation from courtside.
Source: http://www.auburn.edu/administration...renderings.htm
Source: http://www.auburn.edu/administration...renderings.htm
Source: http://www.auburn.edu/administration...renderings.htm
Source: http://www.auburn.edu/administration...renderings.htm
Source: http://www.auburn.edu/administration...renderings.htm
Source: http://www.auburn.edu/administration...renderings.htm
Source: http://www.auburn.edu/administration...renderings.htm
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Auburn Research Park
The research park, a partnership between the State of Alabama, Auburn University, and the City of Auburn, encompasses 156 acres with lakes, meadows, forested areas and a wetland preserve on the Auburn University campus in Auburn, Alabama. The park serves as the south gateway to the campus.
The park is being developed as a mixed-use campus with high technology companies, university research facilities, business support centers, technology transfer capabilities, supporting business firms, and amenitites such as hotel and restaurant to encourage interaction between park tenants, university faculty and students, and local entrepreneurs.
The park is master planned for up to 26 buildings totaling approximately 950,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. It is being developed in two phases with Phase I having sites for up to 13 buildings that will accommodate about 390,000 square feet of space.
The park is a sustainable development designed to balance development against protecting the natural environment. Buildings constructed by the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation will be LEED certified.
The Auburn Plainsman reported in Feburary that "the Auburn Research Park [had] announced its first tenant. Northrop Grumman, a Fortune 100 company, will ultimately generate over 1,500 new jobs for the community.”
Source: http://www.auburn.edu:80/research/vpr/RP/
Source: http://www.auburn.edu:80/research/vpr/RP/
Source: http://www.auburn.edu:80/research/vpr/RP/
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Stay tuned for more Auburn-Opelika development news!!!
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