Members of the UNF Space Committee met briefly on Wednesday, Sept. 12 to discuss plans for various campus roads and buildings.

Plans to renovate the Science and Engineering Building (Bldg. 50) are in progress. Construction documents have been turned in and members are working to get the project in budget. This project will reportedly redefine the space for the physics and chemistry departments.

The Downtown Barnett Building has been under construction since the end of August and is projected to be finished by Dec. 1. This project includes providing an Entrepreneurial Center on the fourth floor and classrooms on the fifth floor.

“They’re looking into two classes this spring and four classes in the summer,” Dan Moon, the associate vice president of budget and personnel said.

Next, the committee discussed renovation of Chick-fil-A slated to begin after graduation in the spring.

“Chick-fil-a is staying,” Moon assured the committee. “In the contract, every seven years you have to go through a refresh with their franchise.”

According to Moon, they are talking about enhancing the menu since it’s a smaller menu.

The Space Committee also discussed how the Herbert University Center is due for a restroom renovation. This project was designed in 2016 but was put on hold because of funding issues. This project includes renovations to the first-floor restrooms and is due for completion in January of 2019.

The idea for new 500-bed housing is still in progress. This concept includes a design and construction of a new Honors College housing facility.

As a result of the new development agreement with the City of Jacksonville, the city is providing funding to UNF in order to complete the extension of various roads on campus. East Bay Ridge Road will be connected to Varsity Ln. to the north, connecting the road the Fountains is on with the rest of campus. ECO Road will be connected to Central Parkway, creating a multi-use path from St. John’s Bluff to the Central Parkway campus entrance.

The construction of the road extensions will begin at the end of October and continue until December of 2019.

Finally, the beloved slab of concrete formerly used as the campus skate park will be split in two with a physical fence. Half of the slab will be reserved for Ogier Gardens and the other half will be designated for engineering research projects.

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