DRC..2 new dorms, 5319 beds all reserved with

[OldTimer]

UNT regents OK cost increase for dorms

07:31 AM CDT on Tuesday, August 1, 2006

By Monty Miller Jr. / Staff Writer

The University of North Texas Board of Regents on Monday approved a $4.7 million increase in construction costs for a new honors residence hall and a general residence hall. The vote was 7 to 1 to approve the additional construction costs.

The cost of materials and construction for the two buildings are the main reasons for the sharp increases, Chancellor Lee Jackson said during the teleconference meeting.

Since February 2006, costs have risen from the original estimate of $33.4 million to $38.1 million in July and prices are expected to climb even higher in the coming months and years.

“We don’t save anything by holding off for another year,” Jackson said when asked about other options for the project.

Construction on the new dormitories began in July.

The cost for the projects will be passed along to the students, who can expect to pay at least 8.5 percent more per room in fall 2007, at all the university’s dorms. This increase far surpasses other Texas universities such as Texas Tech, University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, where students will pay a 3 percent increase in room rates in fall 2007.

“I want to be sure we’re spending the state’s and citizens’ money properly,” said board member Charles Mitchell, who cast the lone dissenting vote. “I am always concerned for the families and students affected by these decisions.”

DRC/Al Key

Land is being cleared north of Eagle Drive between Avenue C and Avenue D as construction of two new University of North Texas dormitories continues despite increasing building and material costs.

For fall 2006, all 5,319 available beds in UNT dormitories have been reserved, including more than 200 rooms with triple occupancy. There is a long waiting list for dorm rooms, UNT officials said.

The Honors College residence hall, to be located along Eagle Drive, between Avenue C and Avenue D, will house 200 beds, a faculty apartment and a learning center. It is projected to cost $17 million, which is $4.7 million more than the original estimate.

“We’ve been negotiating the contract,” Jackson said. “We’ve already squeezed some small things out of the project.”

The price for the main campus residence hall at North Texas Boulevard, near the College Inn, has remained flat at $21 million because of cuts in the plan. The rooms, featuring two single-bedroom units with a common area and a bathroom, and two single-bedroom units without a common area, will now be built with 276 total beds, instead of the original 300.

Austin Commercial is the construction manager for the project.

“It has been an unusual set of circumstances,” regarding the increase in construction costs, said Phil Diebel, UNT’s vice chancellor for finance and business affairs, after the meeting. The cost of copper piping has increased by 75 percent, for example, and many businesses are charging more due to the increase in petroleum costs, he said.

MONTY MILLER JR. can be reached at 940-566-6875. His e-mail address is mmiller@dentonrc.com .

RESIDENCE HALL RATES

The following chart shows the monthly rate for a dormitory room at the following campuses for fiscal year 2007 and 2008.

2007

2007

2006

2006

Institution

Double

Private

Double

Private

University of North Texas

$364

$499

$396

$542

University of Houston

$404

$479

$386

$494

Texas Tech University

$431

$504

$444

$519

University of Texas at Austin

$523

$798

$539

$822

Texas State University

$489

n/a

$503

n/a

Texas A&M University

$416

n/a

$428

n/a

Stephen F. Austin University

$396

$566

$408

$572

University of Texas at Arlington

$280

$376

$288

$387

SOURCE: University of North Texas

[Harry]

Too me - even with the additional costs - this is a no brainer. My understanding is that every dorm room we build will be immediately occupied. Until that changes we should be building more. We want to shake the commuter school image and this is the best way to do that. I would be real interested to see the growth we have had in dorms over the past 10+ years.

[UNTFan23]

Mozart, Santa Fe, Victory, and Traditions are the 4 newest dorms built within the last 10 years. I think these dorms have added a total of roughly 1000 beds.

College Inn still needs to be torn down and a new dorm put in its place though.

Edited August 1, 2006 by UNTFan23

[BleedGreen64]

LJ is right in saying cost will only go up if it is put off. Why can't all of our elected officials realize that?

[Eagle1855]

Too me - even with the additional costs - this is a no brainer.  My understanding is that every dorm room we build will be immediately occupied.  Until that changes we should be building more.  We want to shake the commuter school image and this is the best way to do that.  I would be real interested to see the growth we have had in dorms over the past 10+ years.

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Agree 100%! Even with the increase, our rates are still on-par with (or lower than) the other large institutions in the state. I'm all for anything that helps shake the commuter image.

[LongJim]

Too me - even with the additional costs - this is a no brainer.  We want to shake the commuter school image and this is the best way to do that. 

←

Totally agree.

[meangreendork]

Mozart, Santa Fe, Victory, and Traditions are the 4 newest dorms built within the last 10 years.  I think these dorms have added a total of roughly 1000 beds.

College Inn still needs to be torn down and a new dorm put in its place though.

←

College Inn is abysmal, especially in comparison to the newer dorms. It really does need to go, and if you look at the new shiny buildings on campus like the Rec, the new Bio building, and the new dorms, College Inn's poor conditions are even more obvious. Trash it, build a new CI.

[untbowler]

College Inn is abysmal, especially in comparison to the newer dorms. It really does need to go, and if you look at the new shiny buildings on campus like the Rec, the new Bio building, and the new dorms, College Inn's poor conditions are even more obvious. Trash it, build a new CI.

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CI was at the top of the list to be trashed but it is also a Cash Cow since it is paid for, as well as Maple, Kerr, and Clark will soon be.

[BubbaGreen]

Does anyone know how we compare to the rest of the Texas universities in regards to the number of dorms, specifically number of available rooms?

[Stan R]

CI was at the top of the list to be trashed but it is also a Cash Cow since it is paid for, as well as Maple, Kerr, and Clark will soon be.

←

True, but the problem is - at least as I see it - that Maple, Clark, etc.. are more traditional looking collegiate dorm buildings. The old college inn looks like a really bad motel 6. It isn't sustainable because it isn't aging well. That is why buildings that are traditional old skool college can last 100 years or more (provided the construction is sound, etc.).

[untbowler]

True, but the problem is - at least as I see it - that Maple, Clark, etc.. are more traditional looking collegiate dorm buildings.  The old college inn looks like a really bad motel 6.  It isn't sustainable because it isn't aging well.  That is why buildings that are traditional old skool college can last 100 years or more (provided the construction is sound, etc.).

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which is why Maple, Kerr, Crumley, Clark etc... will outlive SantaFe, Traditions, Mozart, and Victory, but yes CI is an eyesore and the sooner it gets torn down the better for everyone.

[mad dog]

which is why Maple, Kerr, Crumley, Clark etc... will outlive SantaFe, Traditions, Mozart, and Victory, but yes CI is an eyesore and the sooner it gets torn down the better for everyone.

←

And why Bruce will outlive all of the above. The Works Progress Administration built things to last.

Forever.

[untgirl04]

Mozart, Santa Fe, Victory, and Traditions are the 4 newest dorms built within the last 10 years.  I think these dorms have added a total of roughly 1000 beds.

College Inn still needs to be torn down and a new dorm put in its place though.

←

Between Mozart, Santa Fe, Victory, and Traditions, they hold about 1300 students. Not that I'm happy about tearing up the Clark Resident's lot to put a new residence hall, but I'm happy they're continuing to expand.

The only problem, as others have noted, is that Victory, Traditions, Mozart, and Santa Fe are all 20-50 year buildings rather than 100 year buildings. I am, however, glad to see they're doing a bit to renovate Clark. It's needed work since before the "intense heat and smoke" incident.

[meangreendork]

And why Bruce will outlive all of the above.  The Works Progress Administration built things to last.

Forever. 

←

The walls in Kerr are horribly susceptible to moisture damage. In some rooms, I've seen small sections of wall turn to an almost powdery substance or the paint start to bubble from moisture accumulation.

[Stan R]

The walls in Kerr are horribly susceptible to moisture damage. In some rooms, I've seen small sections of wall turn to an almost powdery substance or the paint start to bubble from moisture accumulation.

←

Are you sure that wasn't the massive quantities of LSD you were taking that day?

[mad dog]

It's needed work since before the "intense heat and smoke" incident.

←

Sometimes I forget you were involved with Housing the same time I was. I laughed out loud when I read that... brought back some memories.

The only problem, as others have noted, is that Victory, Traditions, Mozart, and Santa Fe are all 20-50 year buildings rather than 100 year buildings.

Also... the construction on Traditions was WAAAY behind schedule the summer before it was supposed to open, and was thus "hurried" towards the end. This resulted in the vague feeling that the entire structure is held together by paperclips and playing cards. Like you can feel it on one end of the hall if a person jumps up and down at the other end.

There are some bizzare acoustical characteristics at work there. Like, typically, you hear the rooms to either side of yours in a dorm room the loudest. For some reason, the rooms above and/or below yours in Traditions seem to have the acoustical effects of a grain silo: you can hear EVERYTHING along your same vertical column. Dropping a marble sounds like a boom, and God forbid if you actually drop something of substance.

The walls in Kerr are horribly susceptible to moisture damage.

Well, you can imagine how bad it was when Kerr flooded a few summers ago. Appears some brilliant young cheerleader thought it'd be a good idea to hang her clothes on the overhead water sprinkler. Of course, the gol durn thing busts... LOTS and LOTS of water damage.

[untgirl04]

Sometimes I forget you were involved with Housing the same time I was.  I laughed out loud when I read that... brought back some memories.

←

So which one of us does that make old - me or you?

Also... the construction on Traditions was WAAAY behind schedule the summer before it was supposed to open, and was thus "hurried" towards the end.  This resulted in the vague feeling that the entire structure is held together by paperclips and playing cards.  Like you can feel it on one end of the hall if a person jumps up and down at the other end. 

←

Well, and there's also the Traditions fiasco with the floor plan. The contractor misread the ADA requirements and all the bathrooms are ADA compliant...

[mad dog]

Oh, I don't know, really. I was in housing from 2001-2004.

[Mean'n'Green07]

Are you sure that wasn't the massive quantities of LSD you were taking that day? 

←

When I stayed in Kerr I had some relatives come up and see it. They said it looked like a jail and that the interiors of crack motels had looked better. I never thought of it as bad though. In fact, I kind of miss the off white/yellow walls and that mysterious smell that came from the corner south side on floor 7.

[untgirl04]

Oh, I don't know, really.  I was in housing from 2001-2004.

←

We were in Housing for the exact same time frame then. However, I never went the RA route. Never had any desire to clean up puke...

Edited August 2, 2006 by untgirl04

[meangreendork]

   

When I stayed in Kerr I had some relatives come up and see it. They said it looked like a jail and that the interiors of crack motels had looked better. I never thought of it as bad though. In fact, I kind of miss the off white/yellow walls and that mysterious smell that came from the corner south side on floor 7.

←

My parents didn't call Kerr a "dorm". They referred to the building as "the barracks".

[eeally]

I lived in College Inn. And did I ever have fun!!!!

Don't tear it down....Don't tear it down...

[mad dog]

We were in Housing for the exact same time frame then. However, I never went the RA route. Never had any desire to clean up puke...

←

Oh man, if only it was just puke...

[untgirl04]

My parents didn't call Kerr a "dorm". They referred to the building as "the barracks".

←

You mean Kerr-catraz?

[mad dog]

You mean Kerr-catraz?

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ROFL!!! There's another one!