June
2005• The monthly newsletter for UWT faculty and staff
Expansion
of UWT campus nets headlines
continued
from page 1
For
more than a year, community leaders have been talking informally
with UWT about ways the 6-acre parcel could become part of UWT's
campus and developed in ways that sustain economic development
in the short term, as well as 20 or 30 years down the road when
the campus will need space to grow. Community leaders also originally
envisioned and advocated that UWT be located downtown in restored
historic warehouses to help revitalize the area. Members of the
city's economic development committee had met with UWT officials
and community members a few times to explore ideas for how the
land could become part of the campus and developed with short
and long-term benefit.
UWT
had begun working with the UW Seattle Capital Projects office
to explore if it was feasible to make long-term leases to private
developers to build on the site. Development would be guided by
a master plan jointly developed by UWT and the city that encourages
projects that would immediately benefit students, such as a fitness
center, daycare and medical clinics, as well as office buildings
that could eventually be converted into university classrooms,
offices and labs. Retail would be encouraged. A purchase price
would be established at the time of the transaction based on appraised
value or the city's investment into the land. The revenue from
the leases would be used to pay for the property over time.
This
concept is based on our successful experience with the Court 17,
now under construction within UWT's campus footprint, which involves
a long-term lease of the air-rights over the UW-owned parking
structure. A private developer is building and will manage 129
apartments.
The
media coverage was fueled by disagreements among city council
members about the process involved with talking to UWT. There
is also concern about a plan that does not involve an immediate
payoff to help the city deal with budget shortfalls.
When
the stories broke, UWT was in the process of determining if it
was possible to develop the land in ways that fuels the city's
economic development in the short-term. City officials were working
on a concept paper called a "memorandum of intent" to
use as a basis for this exploration for UWT and within the city.
The next step for UWT was to hire a consultant who would evaluate
the property through a process that includes talking with private
developers, community leaders and neighbors of the campus, then
advise UWT on the parcel's development potential.
"Twenty
or thirty years from now, if we didn't at least consider purchasing
land to continue expansion in the future, people would say we
missed an opportunity," says Chancellor Spakes. "If
we could find a way to acquire the property and develop it in
ways that provides short-term economic benefit to the city, appealing
opportunities to private developers, and short and long-term benefit
to UWT students, faculty and staff, then it's worth exploring.
If the city determines there are better uses, I'm sure those uses
would benefit UWT and the community as well."
"Most
urban universities eventually expand to fill their borders then
are forced to either condemn property or open a satellite campus,
options that tend to be expensive, complex and create hard feelings
within the community, said Spakes.
