Facilities Master Plan

[SIOUXFAN97]

https://www.grandforksherald.com/opinion/letters/7279099-Letter-It’s-unconscionable-that-the-UND-School-of-Medicine-has-no-food-service-options

to be this person......

[iramurphy]

26 minutes ago, SIOUXFAN97 said:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/opinion/letters/7279099-Letter-It’s-unconscionable-that-the-UND-School-of-Medicine-has-no-food-service-options

to be this person......

I’m not opposed to a cafe/snack bar. On the other hand, get up in the morning and have breakfast at home and pack a lunch. Even in ND the weather is seldom so bad you can’t walk 10 min to the student union. I assume if all of those students the writer referred to, were utilizing the cafe, they might have kept it open. 

[Cratter]

Talk about Hangery.

I love how she mentions the food at the very nearby gas station...

Which has a kitchen and staff waiting to take food orders.

[NoiseInsideMyHead]

5 hours ago, Cratter said:

Talk about Hangery.

I love how she mentions the food at the very nearby gas station...

Which has a kitchen and staff waiting to take food orders.

I think the prime driver here is the fact that UND talked a good game, soliciting employee input and then devoting substantial capital resources - and prime square footage - to a food-service facility in its then-crown jewel construction project which, due to a bizarre set of circumstances, is apparently now going to sit idle and collect dust.  

And UND isn’t always known for making prudent fiscal decisions. [cough, cough] Ray Richards [cough]. And sometimes those decisions come back to bite them. [cough] Golf course reopening and reconditioning costs, years of revenue and good will lost [cough]

Sorry…must have got something caught in my throat.  Maybe I should seek a qualified Music Therapist to assist in my recovery.

Anyway, on-site food service ought to be viewed not as a cash cow, but a loss leader.  It’s a perk…a service provided to students and employees, and as such it won’t always turn a profit.  And taking it away will almost always gin up some anger that vending machines cannot completely resolve.

[bincitysioux]

On 11/13/2021 at 7:45 PM, NoiseInsideMyHead said:

Considering the other sites under consideration (including the old med school) were within a stone's throw of the Memorial Union and/or walkable (in nice weather, at least) to full-service dining in Wilkerson, and the letter to the editor is about food service availability on campus, I'd say that the Gateway location is indeed remote.

The two Johns (i.e., Jimmy and Taco), though each within walking distance, aren't exactly going to be much more than occasional stops.  Unless people really, really like Oles.

Related but unrelated...the persistent lack of campus-adjacent dining, shopping, and entertainment options at UND is remarkable.  Two strips at REA that I would call moderately useful, at best (I'm guessing MidcoSports doesn't get much walk-up traffic), and Suite 49 has been shuttered over the years more than it has not.  Basically forces students to get in their cars and drive (or rely on buses/Ubers) for even the most mundane of tasks.  Maybe it's time to kick BNSF out of town, do some intense surface remediation, and develop some of that land to benefit campus.  And that would immediately save the tens of millions of $$$ slated for the 42nd St underpass.

I remember when the area where the strip malls on the Bronson Property were being developed, they talked about how it was going to be smaller "DinkyTown" like neighborhood.  In the end it became home to things like a Credit Union and an office of Hospice of the Red River Valley.  Unfortunate really, you'd think the right bars and/or restaraunts could do really well in that area, but apparently not.  My guess is the cost of operating on that property is too expensive for certain businesses.

[SIOUXFAN97]

4 hours ago, NoiseInsideMyHead said:

I think the prime driver here is the fact that UND talked a good game, soliciting employee input and then devoting substantial capital resources - and prime square footage - to a food-service facility in its then-crown jewel construction project which, due to a bizarre set of circumstances, is apparently now going to sit idle and collect dust.  

And UND isn’t always known for making prudent fiscal decisions. [cough, cough] Ray Richards [cough]. And sometimes those decisions come back to bite them. [cough] Golf course reopening and reconditioning costs, years of revenue and good will lost [cough]

Sorry…must have got something caught in my throat.  Maybe I should seek a qualified Music Therapist to assist in my recovery.

Anyway, on-site food service ought to be viewed not as a cash cow, but a loss leader.  It’s a perk…a service provided to students and employees, and as such it won’t always turn a profit.  And taking it away will almost always gin up some anger that vending machines cannot completely resolve.

all those years all those employees that worked in buildings like Corwin-Larimore must have just have to have starved over there....wowser!

[nodak651]

4 hours ago, bincitysioux said:

I remember when the area where the strip malls on the Bronson Property were being developed, they talked about how it was going to be smaller "DinkyTown" like neighborhood.  In the end it became home to things like a Credit Union and an office of Hospice of the Red River Valley.  Unfortunate really, you'd think the right bars and/or restaraunts could do really well in that area, but apparently not.  My guess is the cost of operating on that property is too expensive for certain businesses.

The whole site could have been laid out bettter.  If the whole property was built today, rather than 20 years ago, ya gotta think that they would build some type of mixed-use "main street" with the arena in the middle.  Almost like Nashville and the Predators arena.   Kinda annoying that with how big the property is, they didn't at least save more space for apartments or this type of mixed use area on the south side of the property closest to campus - along 6th ave n I think.  The apartments near the med school could have gone there, maybe shorter buildings but more spread out along that street with some college bars on the ground level - incorporate the book store into those buildings, etc. 

[nodak651]

7 hours ago, NoiseInsideMyHead said:

I think the prime driver here is the fact that UND talked a good game, soliciting employee input and then devoting substantial capital resources - and prime square footage - to a food-service facility in its then-crown jewel construction project which, due to a bizarre set of circumstances, is apparently now going to sit idle and collect dust.  

And UND isn’t always known for making prudent fiscal decisions. [cough, cough] Ray Richards [cough]. And sometimes those decisions come back to bite them. [cough] Golf course reopening and reconditioning costs, years of revenue and good will lost [cough]

Sorry…must have got something caught in my throat.  Maybe I should seek a qualified Music Therapist to assist in my recovery.

Anyway, on-site food service ought to be viewed not as a cash cow, but a loss leader.  It’s a perk…a service provided to students and employees, and as such it won’t always turn a profit.  And taking it away will almost always gin up some anger that vending machines cannot completely resolve.

Loss Leader was the word that came to my head and then I read your post.  Spot on.  It's a quality of life thing... and to be honest, a factor as small as this could be a difference maker for me if I was considering two similar schools to attend.  

It always baffled me why Gamble Hall never had a coffee shop or even a coffee vending machine with the amount of foot traffic that place got.  

[SIOUXFAN97]

10 minutes ago, nodak651 said:

The whole site could have been laid out bettter.  If the whole property was built today, rather than 20 years ago, ya gotta think that they would build some type of mixed-use "main street" with the arena in the middle.  Almost like Nashville and the Predators arena.   Kinda annoying that with how big the property is, they didn't at least save more space for apartments or this type of mixed use area on the south side of the property closest to campus - along 6th ave n I think.  The apartments near the med school could have gone there, maybe shorter buildings but more spread out along that street with some college bars on the ground level - incorporate the book store into those buildings, etc. 

100%....it's a jarbeled mess....no cohesion...never thought about placing REA right in the middle of bronson like that and build a "city" out from it...that would have been cool!

[BIGSIOUX]

3 hours ago, SIOUXFAN97 said:

all those years all those employees that worked in buildings like Corwin-Larimore must have just have to have starved over there....wowser!

I certainly am not a grammar nazi, but this made me lol.

[SIOUXFAN97]

7 minutes ago, BIGSIOUX said:

I certainly am not a grammar nazi, but this made me lol.

i reread that three times and i still didn't catch it...my bad!

 

[dmksioux]

7 hours ago, nodak651 said:

The whole site could have been laid out bettter.  If the whole property was built today, rather than 20 years ago, ya gotta think that they would build some type of mixed-use "main street" with the arena in the middle.  Almost like Nashville and the Predators arena.   Kinda annoying that with how big the property is, they didn't at least save more space for apartments or this type of mixed use area on the south side of the property closest to campus - along 6th ave n I think.  The apartments near the med school could have gone there, maybe shorter buildings but more spread out along that street with some college bars on the ground level - incorporate the book store into those buildings, etc. 

Are bars allowed on the Bronson property being it’s a dry campus?  Not sure how that would work.  I seem to recall there was an exemption for the footprint of the Ralph and Betty so alcohol could be served there.  Not sure how Suite 49 was able to do it.

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

43 minutes ago, dmksioux said:

Are bars allowed on the Bronson property being it’s a dry campus?  Not sure how that would work.  I seem to recall there was an exemption for the footprint of the Ralph and Betty so alcohol could be served there.  Not sure how Suite 49 was able to do it.

I wondered about that a few times?
Used to hear that a bar couldn't be any closer than a mile to campus?

It used to be that Frenchy's (1969-1994, license from Matt's Tavern) was the closest, on Stanford and Hwy#2.
Then in 1976 Crown Colony and Down & Under (Campus Liquors - now Kaspers) on 42nd and 5th Ave N.
Then in 2001 the REA
Then in 2004-08 Suite 49 by REA on 10th Ave N, 2010 Normans Steaks, Albatross Indoor Golf Club, now North Side Cafe. Could be another owner in there?

Rest of strip businesses on 10th Ave N are all on Bronson property may have a different kind of setup.
Bank Forward and University Gas Station/Caseys may have a unique set up?
Townhomes between REA and English Coulee may have a life line?

GOBC chattering about Bank Forward.

[gfhockey]

33 minutes ago, BarnWinterSportsEngelstad said:

I wondered about that a few times?
Used to hear that a bar couldn't be any closer than a mile to campus?

It used to be that Frenchy's (1969-1994, license from Matt's Tavern) was the closest, on Stanford and Hwy#2.
Then in 1976 Crown Colony and Down & Under (Campus Liquors - now Kaspers) on 42nd and 5th Ave N.
Then in 2001 the REA
Then in 2004-08 Suite 49 by REA on 10th Ave N, 2010 Normans Steaks, Albatross Indoor Golf Club, now North Side Cafe. Could be another owner in there?

Rest of strip businesses on 10th Ave N are all on Bronson property may have a different kind of setup.
Bank Forward and University Gas Station/Caseys may have a unique set up?
Townhomes between REA and English Coulee may have a life line?

GOBC chattering about Bank Forward.

Bank forward is getting donated to the university 

[northernraider]

The cemetery really makes it hard for any "dinky town" type of expansion

The cemetery is just in a bad spot in general, but that's a dead issue.  

Maybe in the future, someone will buy a block of the rental homes just south of the Ralphal and turn it into a mixed use type of development. 

 

 

 

 

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

56 minutes ago, northernraider said:

The cemetery really makes it hard for any "dinky town" type of expansion

The cemetery is just in a bad spot in general, but that's a dead issue.  

Maybe in the future, someone will buy a block of the rental homes just south of the Ralphal and turn it into a mixed use type of development. 

Easy on my plot, I have one across from Med school.

[UNDBIZ]

11 hours ago, northernraider said:

The cemetery is just in a bad spot in general, but that's a dead issue.  

[forksandspoons]

11 hours ago, gfhockey said:

Bank forward is getting donated to the university 

What are they going to use it for?

[gfhockey]

1 hour ago, forksandspoons said:

What are they going to use it for?

No plans as of now 

[UND Fan]

23 hours ago, forksandspoons said:

What are they going to use it for?

It is for sale with the majority proceeds going to the UND Foundation.  Nice move by Bank Forward - need to think about moving your business there!  

[nodak651]

 Has this been mentioned yet anywhere on Sioux Sports?  http://blogs.und.edu/und-today/2021/12/a-special-session-to-remember/

For example, several Space initiatives that UND leaders have talked about for years were funded by the Special Session. So, watch for new facilities such as a UND Satellite Operations Center, UND Satellite Design and Engineering Lab, and UND Satellite Fabrication and Assembly Lab (including a spotless “Clean Room”) to start to take shape.

A $50 million appropriation from the Special Session launched a project that – in conjunction with up to $29 million from philanthropic sources – will upgrade Merrifield and Twamley halls, turning both buildings into hubs of state-of-the-art, 21st Century learning.

[SIOUXFAN97]

7 minutes ago, nodak651 said:

 Has this been mentioned yet anywhere on Sioux Sports?  http://blogs.und.edu/und-today/2021/12/a-special-session-to-remember/

For example, several Space initiatives that UND leaders have talked about for years were funded by the Special Session. So, watch for new facilities such as a UND Satellite Operations Center, UND Satellite Design and Engineering Lab, and UND Satellite Fabrication and Assembly Lab (including a spotless “Clean Room”) to start to take shape.

A $50 million appropriation from the Special Session launched a project that – in conjunction with up to $29 million from philanthropic sources – will upgrade Merrifield and Twamley halls, turning both buildings into hubs of state-of-the-art, 21st Century learning.

twamley and merrifield will get their connection/walkway then?

[nodak651]

2 hours ago, SIOUXFAN97 said:

twamley and merrifield will get their connection/walkway then?

Given the budget and scope, that would make a lot of sense.  They are apparently planning a new east side entrance to Merrifield... not sure what I think about it.. kinda thinking/hoping it's one of those things that looks better in person...  https://campus.und.edu/facilities-management/_files/docs/architectural-vocabulary.pdf

 

[nodak651]

[SIOUXFAN97]

1 minute ago, nodak651 said:

Given the budget and scope, that would make a lot of sense.  They are apparently planning a new east side entrance to Merrifield... not sure what I think about it.. kinda thinking/hoping it's one of those things that looks better in person...  https://campus.und.edu/facilities-management/_files/docs/architectural-vocabulary.pdf

 

please no....not happy about the walkway at all and then this???? gimme a break.