Facilities Guideline Plan for the 21st Century November 20, 1998 Introduction Facilities and Campus Framework Plan Development Plan Goals of the Facilities and Campus Framework Plan Development Program Assumptions of the Facilities and Campus Framework Plan Proposed Development Projects Organizing Concepts and Principles Project Phasing and Sequencing Fixed and Temporary Campus Elements Illustrative Long-range Campus Development Concept General Development Standards Alternatives Decentralization

Alternatives

Many alternatives have been considered during the development of the Facilities and Campus Framework Plan, including some that will continue to be considered during the process of preparing a Major Institution Master Plan. Other alternatives may be considered (including some not identified to date) in response to additional information developed as part of SPU’s continuing facilities planning process and the further identification of funding opportunities and constraints. The following are the major alternatives that have been identified to date:

Boundary Expansion and Student Housing Alternatives

Approval of the Major Institution Overlay (MIO) boundary expansion proposed in the Framework Plan is not certain. (A plan alternative that involves no boundary expansion is usually required to be developed for consideration as part of the City of Seattle’s Major Institution Land Use Code.) Since the boundary expansions are proposed primarily to provide additional property for student housing and related parking, an alternative that would limit the types of uses and extent of development in the proposed expansion areas to that which would be allowed under current zoning, would either result in substantially less on-campus student housing or require that other available campus sites be utilized for constructing additional housing.

The logical existing campus sites for additional housing and related parking would be west of Ashton Hall (including the existing basketball courts), south of Hill Hall (including the "beach" open space and the Hillford House), and on the hillside west and south of the Library. Preliminary studies have shown that approximately 100 residence hall beds and 120 parking spaces might be constructed on the Ashton Hall site and 115 residence hall beds and 136 parking spaces might be constructed on the Hill Hall site. (Additional beds and parking would be possible with the current height restrictions, but might be opposed by adjacent residents of single family homes.) Steep slopes and unstable soil conditions would limit housing on the hillside adjacent to the Library to approximately 86 units (as is proposed in the current Major Institution Master Plan). Based on soil studies, the cost of constructing housing on this hillside would likely be substantially higher than on the more stable sites.

Construction of housing and parking on one or more of the alternative sites described above might be considered even with the proposed boundary expansions if a decision is made to limit development on the Irondale site to that which would be feasible with current zoning, or if other proposed housing should appear unfeasible or less attractive from a programmatic and/or cost standpoint.

An alternative that limits campus development to the existing MIO boundaries would also mean that SPU would be unlikely to participate directly in the construction of new student housing in the area between the Free Methodist Church and the SPU buildings adjacent to West Queen Anne Avenue, plus the half block south of West Dravus Street, between Third Avenue and West Queen Anne Avenue. University participation in the redevelopment of the commercial area in the half-block located on the north side of West Nickerson Street, west of the Miller Science Learning Center, also would be unlikely. University uses proposed for these areas would have to be located in facilities within the campus boundaries or in leased off-campus facilities. (Based on current Major Institution Code provisions, student apartments could be located in these proposed expansion areas, even if they are not located within the campus boundaries, but most other university uses would be precluded.)

Expanded Campus Boundaries

More substantial expansion of campus boundaries than is proposed in the Framework Plan has been considered, including the existing Robbins and Davis Apartments, the Langley Tennis Courts, and non-university parcels adjacent to Third Avenue that would have to be included in the MIO boundaries to provide for contiguous campus areas. The Robbins and Davis Apartments and the Langley Tennis Courts are owned and used by SPU and were previously included in the campus boundaries. (They apparently were excluded from the MIO following the City approval of the current Major Institution Master Plan, based on a provision that new or amended master plans cannot include non-contiguous areas within the approved boundaries.) The inclusion of these properties in the MIO boundaries would make feasible a wider range of university uses than would currently be possible. For example, the Robbins Apartments could be converted to a residence hall with classrooms and the currently underutilized tennis courts could be used for other purposes. However, the current university uses of the noncontiguous properties may continue without changes to the MIO boundaries.

No Street or Alley Vacations

City policies regarding street vacations will require the consideration of an alternative that would not require the vacations of streets or alleys. With this alternative, neither West Emerson or West Bertona Streets would be vacated and the streets would remain open to automobile traffic. Pedestrian conflicts with vehicles would continue. However, it is possible that traffic calming measures and curb-bulbs at pedestrian crossings might be approved by the City as a means of improving pedestrian safety. To proceed with such improvements on West Bertona Street may require reclassification of the street from an arterial to a local City street. Consideration might also be given to City designation of both West Bertona and West Emerson Streets as green streets. A green street is defined in the City Land Use Code as "a right-of-way which is part of the street circulation pattern, that through a variety of treatments, such as sidewalk widening, landscaping, traffic calming, and pedestrian-oriented features, is enhanced for pedestrian circulation and open space use".

Without the proposed alley vacations, a lower density housing development would occur on the Irondale Block. If it were not possible to redirect the previously vacated alley between Emerson and Nickerson Streets then the proposed Auditorium may be reduced in size to fit a half-block site, or an alternative site would be identified. One alternative would be to construct the Auditorium as part of the Fine Arts Complex. However, the additional site requirements might require the demolition of Crawford Hall and/or preclude the construction of the parking garage proposed east of the existing Dravus Parking Garage. As an alternative to providing this additional parking, the existing surface parking lot on the proposed Auditorium site could be expanded or additional parking could be included one or more of the other parking garages proposed in the master plan.

Retain the Science Building North of West Nickerson Street

The continued use of the Miller Science Learning Center for science instructional programs, with a major addition constructed adjacent to West Nickerson Street, may be necessary if funding cannot be obtained to provide for the construction of a new Science Building in the lower campus area, adjacent to the Loop. This alternative site for the Science Building would result in other changes to the proposed master plan. The proposed lower campus site of the Science Building, which would include the current sites of Tiffany, Green, and Watson Halls, would be available for other uses. Since the existing buildings are inefficient and in poor condition, they would be likely to be demolished and replaced within the time-frame of the plan. A new building with at least 60,000 sf could be constructed on their sites to replace the existing academic uses and to provide additional classroom space. With this alternative, the proposed Plaza Classroom Building and the addition to McKenna Hall for the professional schools would not be constructed. However, Marston Hall would be demolished (as proposed) and its site would be developed as open space, possibly including an outdoor amphitheater. The site of the McKenna Hall addition would be utilized as a surface parking lot and/or a smaller addition, if required by the School of Business. A variation of this alternative would retain Watson Hall as an academic building, with a small addition to provide a new southern entrance, including an elevator that would provide wheelchair accessibility from the lower campus to the Fifth Avenue Mall.

The continued use of the MSLC for sciences and the construction of an addition to the south, would require an alternative site for the proposed swimming pool and indoor recreation/fitness building or the removal of these facilities from the proposed development program. One alternative would be to construct a swimming pool with an adjacent indoor recreation/fitness center on the east end of the site proposed for new sports fields (northwest of the existing Art Center). To retain enough site area for a sports field and provide a view corridor from West Nickerson Street into the Loop area of the lower campus, the swimming pool and indoor recreation/fitness center would be more limited in size than would be desirable.

Demolish and Replace the Student Union Building, Crawford Music Building, Weter Hall and the Miller Science Learning Center

The proposed plan recommends that the Student Union Building, Weter Hall and the MSLC be retained and renovated for other uses. Crawford Music Building is also proposed to be retained and re-used as part of a new Fine Arts complex. As programming and design for these proposed projects proceeds, additional study will be required to determine if retaining and renovating these buildings would provide the most cost-effective means of providing the required space for the proposed programs. The master plan should retain enough flexibility to provide for the replacement of these buildings.

Construct a Small Chapel or Prayer Room

A small chapel or prayer room might be constructed either as part of the Auditorium or Weter Hall Renovation/Addition projects, or as a freestanding structure. Such a facility could be required to replace the existing chapel in Alexander Hall.