Goshen News, Goshen, IN

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March 16, 2007

College master plan unveiled

By Bridget Fryman

The draft of Goshen College’s master plan calls for new student and welcome centers and converting Westlawn into green space.

The preliminary long-term plan was unveiled to the campus community at two town hall meetings Thursday in College Mennonite Church’s Fellowship Hall.

“This is a snapshot of where we see the college going in the future,” said Jim Histand, vice president of finance. The plan focuses on better utilizing the land to the east of the railroad tracks and the academic buildings to the west.

“Across the tracks the buildings are in the space, not defining the space,” said Michael DiNardo, master planner with The Collaborative Inc. The plan highlights the “grain” of campus, the east-west pedestrian thoroughfares, which will be lined with trees and landscaping.

Among the questions posed to the group before developing the plan was what to do with Westlawn, DiNardo said.

“It really is an impediment as you come onto campus,” he said. “That is a lot of square footage just for storage.”

Westlawn would be turned into green space, and its dining services would be moved to a new Student Center north of the Rec Center where the tennis courts are.

A new “front door” to campus would be developed along College Avenue at 10th Street with a good view of the Music Center and a new welcome center, to be called the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning.

College Avenue would be a boulevard, with trees and landscaping in the median and along the north edge of campus where the college’s 16 small group houses are now.

The new “front door” would require the physical plant to be relocated to the south end of campus, near the stormwater management site.

Tenth and 12th Streets would be the entry pair onto campus, with 10th being the main “image statement” and 12th serving as a traffic release. Parking between the two would include some trees and green space as well.

Coffman residence hall would accommodate some small group housing and there is room for an additional residence hall next to the campus apartments.

The visual arts building would be renovated to be used as an admissions building and also house financial aid, accounting and the registrar.

The current Union would become the Union Academic Center.

“It can be a great facility,” said Philip Enderle, master planner and project manager with The Collaborative Inc. “We would build a second floor in the gym space.”

There is also the potential for a café or other space that opens or looks out to Schrock Plaza, Enderle said.

Good Library would undergo renovations to make the first floor “soft space” — more of a lounge/study area and include a new entrance on the east side of the building.

A field house is included immediately south of the Rec/Fitness Center, which would require the shifting of the softball and baseball fields. The field house would be primarily for indoor soccer, but would have restrooms, locker rooms and athletic offices.

The proposed master plan uses only existing Goshen College land and would allow for some enrollment growth, up to 2,000 students, Histand said.

The master plan process began 15 months ago, and included community workshops last March. The board of directors was presented a draft of the plan in October and will vote on it in May.

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