Buildings at the University of Kentucky

is home to many notable structures, including three high-rises. Major construction projects are underway or are being planned that includes a new hospital, School of Pharmacy building, and several new college structures.

By floor count, the tallest buildings are the 23 story [http://ukcc.uky.edu/cgi-bin/dynamo?maps.391+campus+0149 Kirwan Tower] and [http://ukcc.uky.edu/cgi-bin/dynamo?maps.391+campus+0145 Blanding Tower] , part of the Kirwan-Blanding Residence Hall complex. The 18 floor [http://ukcc.uky.edu/cgi-bin/dynamo?maps.391+campus+0027 Patterson Office Tower] sits on one of the highest points of the university, and so its top reaches a higher altitude. All three high-rises were built in the mid-1960s.

New developments

Recently constructed is a [http://www.ukhealthcare.uky.edu/renewal/parking.htm new parking structure] for the Albert B. Chandler Hospital at South Limestone between Conn Terrace Transcript Avenue. The 1,600 space garage will be connected to the lobby of a new patient care facility via a skyway. The existing parking garage for the hospital has since been demolished to make way for the new patient care facility.

In the future, a new medical campus for the University of Kentucky will be constructed west of South Limestone. The 20-year, $2.5 billion plan is projected to "accelerate growth in research and health education" and will include additional research structures, a new shared Health Sciences Learning Center, and new structures for the College of Medicine, College of Dentistry, College of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, and College of Public Health. ["UK announces design for new hospital." 19 Oct. 2006. UK Healthcare. 17 Nov. 2006 [http://www.ukhealthcare.uky.edu/renewal/index.htm] ] The first of this to be constructed was the Biomedical Biological Science Research Building.

Timeline

Future

In the next twenty years, substantial housing will need to be completed due to increased freshman enrollment and the deteriorated conditions of surrounding neighborhoods. By 2010, the university is currently planning to achieve 33% undergraduate housing, requiring the construction of an additional 2,500 units. By 2020, due to fast undergraduate growth, the university wants to raise the undergraduate housing percentage to at least 40%, requiring the construction of at least 2,800 additional units. The ratio of graduate students to graduate units in Cooperstown and Greg Page Apartments would also need to be increased from 11% to 15%. The existing facilities would also need to be replaced. By 2010, 350 new units would need to be constructed, followed by an additional 250 units by 2020.

New residence halls are planned for the College of Agriculture campus along University Drive and Nicholasville Road between Cooper Drive and Alumni Drive, the Medical Center campus along Transcript Avenue, near the Johnson Student Recreation Center at Cooper Drive, at Stoll Field next to the current Student Center, within the College Town district north of Euclid Avenue, along Washington Avenue (to be converted into a pedestrian-only facility) and along Scott Street.

In addition, several existing structures may be renovated to residence hall use. Scovell Hall, constructed in 1905, will "most likely" be vacated and would be prime for residential redevelopment. Kinkead, Bradley, Bowman and Breckinridge halls, at the corner of Washington Avenue and Rose Street, were originally residence halls and may be repurposed back to that need.

Trivia

* Completed in 1979,"Housing analysis." University of Kentucky. 2 Feb. 2007 [http://acs.uky.edu:8500/CampusPlan/housing%2020%20year%20plan_v5.pdf] .] Greg Page Apartments was the newest residence facility until Baldwin Hall, Ingles Hall, New North Hall and Smith Hall opened in 2005. It was named after Greg Page, one of the first two African American football players at UK, who suffered a broken neck in a freak practice accident in 1966 and died from the complications 38 days later.
* Greg Page Apartments require constant maintenance. The exterior wood siding necessitates continual repair or replacement at "extreme expense" and the wood frame construction has failed in at least one instance, causing significant damage to several units. The onset of problems due to cheap construction techniques and materials has resulted the Greg Page Apartments reaching the end of their usable life.

References

See also

* Cityscape of Lexington, Kentucky
* University of Kentucky