Southwestern looks ahead

Late last month, Southwestern University’s College Town Committee met on campus for a summary briefing on how Southwestern views its future self. SU formed the committee over a decade ago as a way to help bridge an emerging town-gown split that had appeared as many of the new thousands moving here were only vaguely aware of the University. Afterall, there’s a lot to learn in a new town and it takes awhile to get around to everything.

However, even as the town grows to many times its former size, and Southwestern remains about the same size, the university continues to play an out-sized role in community life, especially for those for whom life-long-learning is a thing. But what about the future at SU? For that, the committee heard from Paul Secord, vice president for university relations and strategic initiatives, a title that sounds as if it might include everything imaginable. After Paul’s briefing, that seems about right.

In the next few years, the university will spend about $120 million on its core campus. Campus residence halls are at 99.9 percent capacity now, Paul says, so two new dorms are planned. And there will be a new sports facility built on the current practice field on the east side of campus across from the tennis courts. There will be football, of course, but also soccer and lacrosse.

SU will replace the existing power plant on the west side of campus. Over the years the plant, which was at first inside its own building, had to spread outside as campus buildings were enlarged and new buildings put up. For those of us who live just west of campus, this is welcome news, since occasionally the old plant has an upset, and the temporary units brought in during repairs are quite noisy. The library will be re-leveled.

I wasn’t aware that the library was not level, but perhaps all those books weigh more than one might think. Anyway, this wonderful library will be put back straight. The second oldest building on campus, Mood-Bridwell Hall, will be stripped to rock and the interior built anew. About half of the faculty now offices in the building. A reconstruction will give this grand old building another century of useful life.

So that’s the campus. What about the 500 acres that Southwestern owns east of campus? Paul says that they’re looking 20, 30 and a 100 years into the future. For small liberal arts universities, Southwestern is unusual, he says. Many schools in rural settings have space to expand, but these days don’t have the student and donor interest to do so. Southwestern, once a rural school, is now an urban university with a past — and a future.

Of the vacant land, about 370 acres is outside the floodplain and can be developed. Rather than sell the land, SU would use long-term land leases, say for 99 years. You may remember that the Domain in Austin is built on UT land that was leased, not sold, and SU could take a similar approach. The university will provide the land while developers provide the money and expertise to develop it. So at last, growth on the east side will turn this vacant land into a long-term, cash flow proposition for Southwestern. But, Paul says, don’t expect anything right away — this is the long view, here, the 100year view.