The University of Connecticut will begin construction in the Northwest area of campus in the coming months in accordance with the Master Plan, UConn’s guidelines for construction through 2030. The two buildings which will eventually be erected in that area are the first building of the planned Northwest Science Quad and the Supplemental Utility Plant.
The University of Connecticut will begin construction in the Northwest area of campus to continue the ongoing Next Generation Connecticut initiative, or NextGenCT, which has led to the construction of buildings such as Werth Tower. Photo by Eric Wang/The Daily Campus.
As part of the construction, parking lots in that area will be closed and people who hold parking permits for those spots will be relocated. This began with Lot L closing entirely and Lot X closing partially in the fall 2019 semester. According to an article in UConn Today by university spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz, the remainder of Lot X as well as Lot N were scheduled to close this semester, but this move has been postponed until after 2020 commencement.
“The University had expected to close Lot N (formerly known as Lot 9) and Lot X in their entirety of this month, but recent developments have made it possible for them to remain open to parking throughout the spring 2020 semester until after Commencement,” the article read.
This doesn’t mean that this construction will go on entirely without impediment to students this semester. Towards the end of the spring 2020 semester, King Hill Road will be closed to through traffic.
“The exact date has yet to be determined, but the University will erect electronic messaging signs near King Hill Road starting in March to notify drivers of the impending change,” read the article. “Once that closure occurs, drivers will no longer be able to use the road as a shortcut between North Eagleville and Hillside roads, since the western half connecting to North Eagleville will end at the entrance to the SUP construction site.”
This construction of the Northwest Science Quad is part of the ongoing Next Generation Connecticut initiative, or NextGenCT, which strives to expand STEM innovation in the state through 2024.
The Supplemental Utility Plant is meant to increase power to the UConn campus, according to the Master Plan website.
“The building and the nearby Gant Science Complex will be served by the new Supplemental Utility Plant (SUP), which will provide heat, electricity, emergency power and cooling, and will connect via underground infrastructure to the Central Utility Plant on Glenbrook Road,” read the website. “The SUP project also includes electrical upgrades to significantly improve the campus electrical distribution system.”
The Supplemental Utility Plant is scheduled to be completed in fall 2021, and the first building of the Northwest Science Quad in fall 2022.
Grace McFadden is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at grace.mcfadden@uconn.edu.
