UNF Campus Construction Update

[tg]

So excited for all of these new buildings at UNF! Each one is essential to the school's growth and enhancing the experience for students.

Here's a link about the new dining facility:
http://www.unf.edu/ia/pr/marketing_publications/inside/2011/May_2011.aspx#Growing%20pains%20meet%20hunger%20pangs

[Tacachale]

I'm always impressed by the continued expansion at UNF. I would like to see them keep expanding out into Kernan also.

And yes, I would love to see a UNF football program someday.

The school currently owns a bunch of land to the east of Kernan. They own everything between between Kernan and First Coast Tech parkway (where the old AOL building, now UNF Hall, is located). The eventual plan is to re-route Kernan along the First Coast Tech Parkway.

I'm not sure what their future plans for expansion are, landwise. There's still some available land to the north of where they currently are.

[iMarvin]

I'm always impressed by the continued expansion at UNF. I would like to see them keep expanding out into Kernan also.

And yes, I would love to see a UNF football program someday.

The school currently owns a bunch of land to the east of Kernan. They own everything between between Kernan and First Coast Tech parkway (where the old AOL building, now UNF Hall, is located). The eventual plan is to re-route Kernan along the First Coast Tech Parkway.

I'm not sure what their future plans for expansion are, landwise. There's still some available land to the north of where they currently are.

What would be the point of re-routing Kernan?

[Lucasjj]

They would re-route Kernan so that it went on the other side of the old AOL building. This way that building and the land around it would be a more connected part of the university campus, rather than having it split by the heavy traficced road.

[tg]

Re-routing Kernan to First Coast Technology Parkway would allow UNF to have greater control of the road that would split right through the to-be- acquired property. Thus, UNF could make it more pedestrian friendly, add signage, and cut down on non-UNF traffic. The plan is to have campus housing on the east side of Kernan in the future.

[iMarvin]

They would re-route Kernan so that it went on the other side of the old AOL building. This way that building and the land around it would be a more connected part of the university campus, rather than having it split by the heavy traficced road.

Re-routing Kernan to First Coast Technology Parkway would allow UNF to have greater control of the road that would split right through the to-be- acquired property. Thus, UNF could make it more pedestrian friendly, add signage, and cut down on non-UNF traffic. The plan is to have campus housing on the east side of Kernan in the future.

But wouldn't people still take the old Kernan?

[tg]

Potentially, they haven't released any renderings of what changes would be made to Kernan/First Coast Technology Pkwy other than changing the street names. If there was a substantial change in the roadway in which the "new" Kernan seems like the more desired or public way to get to and from JTB, I think it could work. I wouldn't mind seeing a pedestrian bridge over the road if that proves to be unfeasible.

[Doctor_K]

The new residence hall kind of looks like an Assisted Living Facility...

[Tacachale]

^FCTP would become Kernan. The current stretch of Kernan south of FCTP and north of JTB would become an internal UNF road, like Alumni Drive.

This way, the land will be contiguous, and not split by a publicly traversed road. Additionally, the city will be able to widen that stretch of future Kernan to six lanes. They haven't expanded the part of Kernan south of FCTP and north of JTB largely due to this development. North of FCTP, Kernan has already been widened.

With this done, UNF will be able to expand into First Coast Technology Park, rather than it becoming another office park or other haphazard private development.

Here's an article about it from the FTU, from before UNF acquired the land.

http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/083008/nes_324487498.shtml

[duvaldude08]

Glad to see they are doing well!!

[iMarvin]

^FCTP would become Kernan. The current stretch of Kernan south of FCTP and north of JTB would become an internal UNF road, like Alumni Drive.

This way, the land will be contiguous, and not split by a publicly traversed road. Additionally, the city will be able to widen that stretch of future Kernan to six lanes. They haven't expanded the part of Kernan south of FCTP and north of JTB largely due to this development. North of FCTP, Kernan has already been widened.

With this done, UNF will be able to expand into First Coast Technology Park, rather than it becoming another office park or other haphazard private development.

Here's an article about it from the FTU, from before UNF acquired the land.

http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/083008/nes_324487498.shtml

But why do they want to expand so far away from the main campus if they have plenty of space to expand on?

[tg]

There are actually a lot of restrictions within the core of campus about where they can build due to the environmental preserve. Check out the last page of this article: http://www.unf.edu/uploadedFiles/aa/ecenter/SS%20Designation.pdf

The areas surrounded in pink are not allowed to be built on.

[copperfiend]

They would re-route Kernan so that it went on the other side of the old AOL building. This way that building and the land around it would be a more connected part of the university campus, rather than having it split by the heavy traficced road.

Re-routing Kernan to First Coast Technology Parkway would allow UNF to have greater control of the road that would split right through the to-be- acquired property. Thus, UNF could make it more pedestrian friendly, add signage, and cut down on non-UNF traffic. The plan is to have campus housing on the east side of Kernan in the future.

But wouldn't people still take the old Kernan?

I don't think so. It would only be two lanes and would have a red light when it meets the existing Kernan. The "new Kernan" would be a multi-lane road.

[billy]

I'm always impressed by the continued expansion at UNF. I would like to see them keep expanding out into Kernan also.

And yes, I would love to see a UNF football program someday.

The school currently owns a bunch of land to the east of Kernan. They own everything between between Kernan and First Coast Tech parkway (where the old AOL building, now UNF Hall, is located). The eventual plan is to re-route Kernan along the First Coast Tech Parkway.

I'm not sure what their future plans for expansion are, landwise. There's still some available land to the north of where they currently are.

I'm always impressed by the continued expansion at UNF. I would like to see them keep expanding out into Kernan also.

And yes, I would love to see a UNF football program someday.

The school currently owns a bunch of land to the east of Kernan. They own everything between between Kernan and First Coast Tech parkway (where the old AOL building, now UNF Hall, is located). The eventual plan is to re-route Kernan along the First Coast Tech Parkway.

I'm not sure what their future plans for expansion are, landwise. There's still some available land to the north of where they currently are.

What land to the north?

[Captain Zissou]

It's great that they have something in place that will force density.  Unfortunately at least on the southern end they are prevented from integrating with the community around them.