The 20-Year Auraria Master Plan calls for each institution on campus
to have its own “neighborhood.” Metro State’s neighborhood is slated to
be along Auraria Parkway between 7th and 9th streets.
In response, President Stephen Jordan asked that a Metro State
Neighborhood Planning Committee be formed to serve as the voice for the
College and work closely with studioINSITE, the firm that has been
working on the campus master plan, to gather pertinent information and
help design the Metro State neighborhood and first building(s).
The committee is being coordinated by Sean Nesbitt, facilities
planning and space management, who said that it is anticipated the
program plan will be completed by the beginning of July and the master
plan by the end of July.
Working with the committee, studioINSITE’s consultant team will
develop a master plan for the Metro State neighborhood that follows
Colorado Commission of Higher Education guidelines. This plan will
study the current and future needs of the College, organizing the Metro
State neighborhood to reflect the unique goals, mission and culture of
the College, Nesbitt said.
The Metro State Neighborhood Planning Committee has its work cut out
for it as Nesbitt anticipates several studies will need to be
conducted, including among others:
• Examination of existing space use on campus by the College,
including location and approximate square footage, to gauge the needs
of the College
• Definition of existing programs and services, and their
anticipated space needs, appropriate for relocation to the Metro State
neighborhood from existing campus buildings
• Definition of programs and uses, based on the available building budgets, for the initial building in the neighborhood
• Organization of buildings and open spaces within the Metro State
neighborhood to integrate and activate the interior and exterior spaces
Three alternative conceptual neighborhood plans will be developed,
with the preferred plan documented per proposal Nesbitt said.
First building(s) program plan
In addition, the committee
and studioINSITE will develop a program plan for the first building in
the Metro State neighborhood that considers the following:
• Evaluation of Metro State’s’s most pressing needs, through
consultation with representatives from Academic Affairs, Student
Affairs, Administration and Finance, Institutional Advancement, and
Information Technology
• Development of up to three (3) alternative building programs for initial review by Metro State
• Evaluation of space needs for all College administrators, the
First Year Experience program, the Aviation and Aerospace Science
department, and potential retail uses
Committee members
Following is the list of members of the Metro State Neighborhood Planning Committee:
Ellen Robinson, Trustee; Committee Chair
Skip Balazs, Associate Professor of Aviation and Aerospace Science
Steve Beaty, Professor of Computer Science
Judi Bonacquisti, Associate VP for Enrollment Services
Rick Cisneros, Director of IT Strategic Partnerships
Greg Clifton, Professor of Accounting
Derrick Haynes, Director of Student Academic Success
Jill Jennings, Auraria Campus Master Planner
David Kottenstette, Associate Professor of Design and Technical Theatre
Cathy Lucas, Assistant VP for Communication
Natalie Lutes, VP for Administration and Finance
Kathy MacKay, VP for Student Services
Maureen McKenna, Assistant VP for Development
Vince Yates, Student
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