Construction on campus

[VUGrad1314]

I'd really like to see more late night places near campus. We frequented Dennys a ton when I was a student but it and El Amigo were not located in a place you could get without a car. Just one diner/coffee shop hangout place that's open til 1 or 2 could do a great deal for the night life aspect of valpo. Not just as a late night pit stop but as a place that's not a dorm where you could go, drink coffee and hang for hours

For late night food, for me in the 90's it was Taco Bello south of 30, or sometimes Steak 'n Shake. For late night studying, in public, it was sometimes the 24-hour computer lounge that used to operate in the old Union. (There's maybe still such a space, but it doesn't have its own entrance, so I guess you have to be in there before the building closes.)

There's still a 24 hour study area with computers in the new union. I think there's an entrance and you can access it with your ID\One Card even after hours but I'm not 100% sure.

[crusader05]

There is a study hour but I"m thinking things that feel more social and less "what's open this late" local coffee shops, lounges, that kind of thing. Not every student goes out on the weekend to parties but I have yet to meet a 19 year old that doesn't like to stay up late so I feel like providing late night casual activities and locations is important. I remember spending hours drinking coffee at the Denny's. A couple more places like that couldn't hurt.

[valpotx]

Ah yes, many late nights at the Denny's, since it was really the only place open

[ValpoFan]

Here is a photo update of the East campus Project. You can see the quad/oval starting to shape up.
https://twitter.com/skhorbotly/status/1020516191528521730

[crusader05]

I am ridiculously excited for this new development combined with the removal of the broadway cafe.  IF you've ever been in the new science building you can see how this will turn into just an amazing view and a beautiful part of campus.

[valpo64]

I too am looking forward to the new look of the Campus from the east...will there be an entrance/exit from the east Campus to IN 49(Sturdy)?

[bbtds]

I too am looking forward to the new look of the Campus from the east...will there be an entrance/exit from the east Campus to IN 49(Sturdy)?

Let's be clear. State Hwy 49 is not Sturdy Road and Sturdy Road is not State Hwy 49 (any longer).

There already is the same entrance (this was formerly the torch entrance but that was taken down and a new torch entrance is now off of US 30 by the Welcome Center and west of where the Broadway Cafe was located) that comes off Sturdy and connects with the new outer road and will also go through the brand new oval which has connections to Urschel Hall, Schnabel Hall/Christopher/Kallay Hall (meteorology), VUCA, Chapel, Gellersen (engineering), Meier, and the new Center for the Sciences.

https://www.valpo.edu/about/files/2012/11/Valpo-Campus2017_with-Key_2017_FINAL.pdf (this map doesn't have the new oval which is under construction)

[valpo64]

Thanks for correcting me on the Sturdy Rd/IN49 thing.  I forgot that it no longer is IN49.  Are there any renderings or drawings/pictures of the new East Campus look with the new and improved entrance, access roads, and pond that are planned for the southeast /east side of campus?

[agibson]

It looks like campus is undergoing quite the landscaping job right now. Can't wait to see how it turns out at Homecoming.

Pretty big changes. If memory serves, ripping out all or most of the parking lot between the VUCA and Gellersen. And the lot between Neils and the Union as well. Continuing the move to "parking on the perimeter, pedestrian campus".

I think they're hoping to have all of the heavy equipment out before students return. But, it's hard to imagine that the landscaping will all be finished - I expect grass may still be closed off, etc.

(Sorry, I missed page 4 when writing this. But, I guess I'll leave it here.)

[agibson]

Ah yes, many late nights at the Denny's, since it was really the only place open

I'm not sure I remember this at all. I remember Taco Bell and Steak and Shake.

It looks like Denny's was located where Kelsey's is now (near Steak and Shake). I wonder what years Denny's operated?

[valpotx]

It was there for my entire 1999-2004 time on campus.

[crusader05]

apologizes for the orientation of the picture.

There is an artist rendering outside the construction area. The paved oval toward the top of the picture will be right by the VUCa to help people get an idea of where it sits on campus. The road and sidewalks will then create a large oval of grass between Urschelle, and Kalle and Gellerson, Meier, and the new science building. The benefit of most of the grass being surrounded by the road and sidewalk is that it should be pretty easy to rope off until it's set at the beginning of the school year.

As for the Denny's, it closed in 2005.

[valpopal]

This is an image of the campus restructuring I posted in the "Facilities" thread back at the start of May:

[agibson]

I guess the paved circle is a version of the VUCA turnaround, for dropping of patrons for concerts and such. Not crazy. But, the road at the bottom of the image surprises me. I don't know what it's for. It seems to go maybe even further than the current road, which ends at the current turnaround, I near as I can tell exists only to serve the turnaround.

[valpotx]

Very cool, it looks like dogs will be allowed!

[wh]

I guess the paved circle is a version of the VUCA turnaround, for dropping of patrons for concerts and such. Not crazy. But, the road at the bottom of the image surprises me. I don't know what it's for. It seems to go maybe even further than the current road, which ends at the current turnaround, I near as I can tell exists only to serve the turnaround.

The road at the bottom appears to go all the way through??

[agibson]

Very cool, it looks like dogs will be allowed!

Heh. I don't actually know the campus policy there. I do see one on campus every once in a while.

(And, periodically, maybe every finals week, Prof. Maugans does bring a therapy dog to campus for petting opportunities in the Chapel.)

[agibson]

I guess the paved circle is a version of the VUCA turnaround, for dropping of patrons for concerts and such. Not crazy. But, the road at the bottom of the image surprises me. I don't know what it's for. It seems to go maybe even further than the current road, which ends at the current turnaround, I near as I can tell exists only to serve the turnaround.

The road at the bottom appears to go all the way through??

Right? Almost like they want to reconnect Chapel Drive. Which would be very strange.

I walked over there at lunch time, and they do seem to have around 50 feet of that path, the Chapel end of it, maybe just at the edge of the illustration, freshly paved with black top. A little bit wider than the existing pathway/walking path/bike path that it butts up against. It doesn't look like a road. No idea why the want to make some of the paths blacktop. Very strange.

They've torn up part of the road on the Chapel side also, right where the road dead ends there between the Chapel and the Union. Not sure what's going on there.

[vu72]

I guess the paved circle is a version of the VUCA turnaround, for dropping of patrons for concerts and such. Not crazy. But, the road at the bottom of the image surprises me. I don't know what it's for. It seems to go maybe even further than the current road, which ends at the current turnaround, I near as I can tell exists only to serve the turnaround.

Pretty sure that is not a road but a walking path.  My understanding is the only road is the one leading to the drop off for the VUCA.

[agibson]

I guess the paved circle is a version of the VUCA turnaround, for dropping of patrons for concerts and such. Not crazy. But, the road at the bottom of the image surprises me. I don't know what it's for. It seems to go maybe even further than the current road, which ends at the current turnaround, I near as I can tell exists only to serve the turnaround.

Pretty sure that is not a road but a walking path.  My understanding is the only road is the one leading to the drop off for the VUCA.

Yeah, I think you're right (particularly after getting eyeballs on it today). But I have no idea why they decided that one of the walking paths should be black.

[talksalot]

it's actually "CobbleStone walkway"... I was watching the pro's install it... at least they've had spectacular weather this week... they've also moved a LOT of dirt in this site and the B'way cafe parking lot...It's as if they know August 17th is only 3 weeks away.

[crusader05]

The construction stuff near the chapel and union is because of some repair work for the roof on the chapel entranceway I believe.
As far as tearing down the Broadway Cafe building. I believe that should be started within the next week. It looked like they already got the parking lot up last time I drove by but there was so much dirt it was hard to see.

[ValpoFan]

Here is your weekly update picture.
https://twitter.com/skhorbotly/status/1023030560137076737

[historyman]

The construction stuff near the chapel and union is because of some repair work for the roof on the chapel entranceway I believe.
As far as tearing down the Broadway Cafe building. I believe that should be started within the next week. It looked like they already got the parking lot up last time I drove by but there was so much dirt it was hard to see.

At the Broadway Cafe site they yanked up all the trees in one day and then after a few days of rain they bulldozed the parking lot. Since the last time I looked they had not touched the building yet. I hope they put some more trees in the area when they are done tearing down the BC building. It was such a shame to pull out all the trees they did by the Broadway Cafe.

[VUGrad1314]

I agree. Keeping the campus area at least somewhat  green adds an important aesthetic touch that must not be lost amid all this wonderful development .