|
Somehow, this sprawling project has been flying under the radar, while
all of the attention has been going to the transformation under way at
UConn. Certainly, the massive amounts of state dollars going into
UConn are visible and obvious, but Central, proportionally speaking,
is holding its own.
The new student center, which is replacing the old one, is
substantially complete and besides being a contemporary technological
marvel, also makes an architectural statement with its copper-clad
exterior.
Nearby, yet another new parking garage is going up and no one -- not a
single person -- will ever argue against more parking as CCSU
continues to grow.
The Vance Academic Center is a wonderful new building, both in its
everyday use and its architecture. It’s hard to say which, if any, is
a cornerstone project of this wave of construction but the "Big Dig,"
CCSU style, might qualify.
On campus, they call it the "Big Dig" colloquially, because when you
stand atop Stanley Street and look down at what years ago used to be
Wells Street cutting the campus in half, all you see is a scene right
out of downtown Boston. More than 2,000 feet of concrete boxes, big
enough to walk in, are being laid, one after another, nearly the
length of what was once, years ago, the landmark old Wells Street. It
is a pretty amazing site.
Eventually, the bulk of the university’s energy needs, gas, steam,
electricity, sewer, telecommunications, will run through this tunnel
and branch off into the buildings. Look at it today and you see
concrete, dirt and wire. But in a year, it will be gone below ground,
as invisible as your central nervous system but serving much the same
purpose.
But it gets better. This energy tunnel is so big it can only go
partially underground. For much of its route, the builders actually
have to raise the level of the ground. When complete, a segment of
what used to be Wells Street will be 20 feet higher.
It will add to the startling campus transformation. While all of this
is going on, there are projects of lesser scale in nearly every
direction.There is so much opening and closing of floors and entrances
and whole buildings that the university has a daily construction
update posted. There is even a live Web cam trained on the project.
The athletic facilities haven’t been left behind, with a new football
stadium and new lighting. Seating at Detrick gymnasium has been
substantially improved for fans of basketball. New outdoor sports
facilities will be added along Barbour Road.
Meanwhile, full-scale renovations are under way to dormitories like
Sheridan Hall. While much of the work is visible and will be visible
for years to come, much of it is not visible, but is intended to beef
up the crucial infrastructure that allows the campus to operate and
grow. One is no less important than the other.
The utilitarian look of the Central campus is being transformed. It
looks a lot more like a university than an institution today. The wave
of construction that is rolling across CCSU says a lot about the
vision, the pride and the determination of the school’s leadership. It
also says a lot about willingness of the Connecticut State University
system to recognize what a powerful and important force for economic
progress CCSU is in the region.
The people educated there remain in the area, for the most part. They
operate or work at businesses, raise families, buy homes and become
leaders. The investment in a 2,000-foot energy tunnel may look like a
lot of concrete and dirt, but it is an important investment in the
future of the region. And it says a lot about Connecticut, the
governor and the legislature, that so much construction is under way
at Central, at UConn, at Tunxis and other schools. Clearly, this state
believes in public education. Anyone with two eyes can see that. See
it for yourself someday soon. And be amazed at a campuswide
transformation.
William F. Millerick is president of the New Britain Chamber of
Commerce. He may be reached at bill@newbritainchamber .com.)
|
