After plowing ahead with more enthusiasm than execution, the construction of a plaza that was once hailed as the epicenter of West Campus has been stalled for at least another year.
The project was supposed to begin over the summer and construction would have continued throughout the school year, awakening residents of Kilgo Quadrangle with the sounds of jackhammers in the early morning hours. But administrators are still trying to finalize--and finance--their vision for the space, which will eventually replace the Bryan Center walkway. Construction will not likely begin before the summer of 2005.
"We had to stop and catch our breath and say, 'Okay, are we ready?'" said Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs and the pointman for the plaza. "Well, no. We haven't quite raised the money yet. No, we haven't really resolved all the construction issues. And we have a new president."
The initial vision was unveiled in October to much excitement on campus. And when students saw the designs for the first time in March, many expected the plaza--an expansive space for outdoor dining and events that would link the Chapel, Kilgo and Main Quadrangles--to infuse a social life many undergraduates describe as lagging.
But for the past several months, concerns have swirled and multiplied among senior administrators about both the planning and the funding for the gathering space. When President Richard Brodhead began to weigh in on the plans, administrators realized that the longevity of the plaza had not been examined thoroughly enough to proceed with a summer start date.
"I'm actually very pleased that instead of rushing forward with a half-baked idea, the time was taken to come up with what is a better idea," Brodhead said.
Just before President Nan Keohane stepped down, she and other administrators raised serious concerns about the viability of the plaza. It became clear to administrators that developers could not tear down the Bryan Center walkway until they comprehensively examined how such a move would fit into long-term plans for re-making West Campus, including overhauls of the West Union Building, Page Auditorium, the Flowers Building and the Bryan Center.
"You had a departing president who was not completely enamored with the idea and an incoming president who wanted to know exactly what we were talking about," Executive Vice President Tallman Trask said.
"We couldn't tell him."
Workable plans did not materialize until late April, when administrators realized that the engineering difficulties were far greater than projected. Until that time, all questions regarding the plaza had been based on cardboard mock-ups.
The University then put the plaza construction on hold until it could examine alternative designs and Duke's ability to pay for the project.
"Here's the real question: You have a limited budget. It doesn't do any good to knock down the bridge and in place build a new ugly bridge," Trask said. "There are cost implications to committing to a new pathway that is not simply another concrete jungle."
In preparation for the plaza and several other student-life initiatives, the Office of Student Affairs recently hired its own development officer to raise money for the projects. No money has yet been raised for the project, however. Moneta said the plans are too preliminary to be used as leverage, and for now the goal is just to make contact with potential donors in preparation for future requests.
While the University considers funding, it is also redesigning the plaza to be more adaptable to the long-term vision of campus life. Especially in light of recent strides made toward the development of Central Campus as a future student hub, administrators wanted to make sure that the plaza would not become obsolete or alienated as a West Campus student center takes shape.
Brodhead has met several times with Moneta and other administrators who are involved, and he is confident that the project is a conceptually positive step, but that as it is currently envisioned, the University cannot begin construction.
"Ideals come into focus over time, and when you're building, you better not start the building until you've got the idea to the late stage of development because building is a lot easier than un-building," Brodhead said.
Moneta said the new design is "essentially complete," and he expects approval for the design at the October meeting of the Board of Trustees with construction set to begin next summer. Other administrators said a timetable is not available yet.
After a July 13 meeting at which Moneta pitched revised plans featuring new grass spaces, multiple levels and a large video screen, Brodhead said his questions were still "similar" to the ones he had earlier.
Student leaders, who have been involved in perennial discussions about creating student space on West Campus, are enthusiastic about the plaza's potential. But with construction postponed, they cautioned administrators to keep immediate needs in mind.
"The plaza should not be considered a solution to every student life problem. It's a long-term vision," said Anthony Vitarelli, president of Campus Council. "We still need Band-Aids."
Even when the plaza debuts, it must draw students, faculty and staff with attractions in order to be a widely accepted space. The new design calls for multiple sitting spaces and event spaces for up to 2,000 people. But without food outlets, Moneta said, the plaza will not be as enticing. He envisions multiple cart vendors, such as Pauly Dogs, dotting the plaza.
Once again, those plans may be halted by financial considerations. Jim Wulforst, director of dining services, said his office is usually responsible for financing its own projects and right now Dining Services "can't afford any more debt load."
Moreover, convincing vendors to run a food cart is a tough sell. "I've been talking to several vendors about coming here and they're like, 'Wait a second. You don't want to give me any space on campus. You want me to have a cart that I have to push around, that has a refrigerator the size of your computer in it and I have no place to go get food when I need it,'" Wulforst said.
The obstacles are not insurmountable, he added, but it will take more time and meticulous planning to make the vision a reality.
That principle holds true for the entire plaza. The University will likely delay construction until it has cemented its vision for that area of campus.
"I have a little bit of homework left to do to refine some of the designs," Moneta said. "Fundamentally, all the folks in the Allen Building who are involved say it has to be perfect. It has to be just right."
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