University expansion
Liberty updates its master plan for the future look and layout of campus
Though a master plan of Liberty University has been released for multiple years, over the recent months, the university announced new changes to the plan, many of which will change campus as it is presently known.
Alan Askew, vice president of major construction planning & construction, said the comprehensive master plan was first officially released in 2014, but the concepts for many of the new buildings including the Jerry Falwell Library, science hall and the school of music began earlier in 2011 and 2012.
However, Askew said the recent plan that was updated in spring 2016 has additions that have been added in order to best serve the university and its students.
BIRD’S EYE VIEW — An aerial shot of Liberty’s campus in 2016. Photo credit: Leah Seavers
“We’re always very aware and try to follow the needs of the campus and the students and also try to forecast what those are going to be in the future where the demand is at,” Askew said.
The updated master plan has a graduate campus located on Liberty mountain next to the current Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Askew said the long-term plan is to move many of the graduate programs to the mountain, including the law school and a center for graduate counseling.
Also on the updated master plan, Commons III and Commons IV housing locations would be located adjacent to the current Commons I and Commons II.
Askew added that there is no proposed date for Commons IV currently, but when it is complete, the campus dining hall will be located in the bottom of the building and the current Reber-Thomas Dining Hall will be torn down.
Connecting almost all of campus will be a lawn space of open grass.
Askew said the lawn has been a part of the plan all along, but this year when the Montview Student Union opened, part of the lawn, called the academic lawn, was first opened.
Askew said the lawn will go from the Commons housing to the grass above the Vines practice facility and then continue through campus along the Academic Performance Center to the baseball stadium.
“I believe they’re going to call the whole piece the campus walk because you’ll be able to access from point A to point B in an accessible (way) in the middle without having cars intersecting,” Askew said.
Another notable feature on the master plan is the south campus bridge, which will connect South campus and East campus over Route 460.
Askew said the bridge will be for vehicles and pedestrians.
Construction has already begun on the bridge, which is anticipated to be finished in October 2017.
Though no major plans have been drawn, Askew said there have been discussions to build another arena on campus to host basketball and volleyball games.
He said the Vines Center would then solely host Convocation and concerts.
“It is a major undertaking to set up and tear down for Convocation three times a week when basketball is still in there and volleyball, so the thought is if we could make Vines solely a Convocation and concert center, we can leave it set up,” Askew said.
“Then there is the possibility to add an upper ring of seating in the Vines Center without having to raise the roof. … It would take the seating to probably 14,000.”
Liberty is also in the midst of multiple projects on the master plan including the indoor football practice facility and the APC.
Askew said the football facility is projected to be completed early summer 2017, while the APC could be finished as early as late spring 2017 or summer 2017.
He said the APC will centralize the main components of athletics. The academic portion of athletics, which is now scatted in the football tower, will be in the APC.
Weights and training as well as rehabilitation and therapy for athletes will also be housed in the APC.
Because it is just a plan, Askew anticipates more changes in the future with Liberty’s master plan, but he said the changes are what make the school special.
“One of the exciting things about being here is that fact that we do look for those forecasted needs, and we really do try to project where we need to be instead of just sticking to something that we had planned years ago,” Askew said.
To see the updated master plan visit www.liberty.edu/aboutliberty.
Rodriguez is the editor-in-chief.