Campus infrastructure was a popular topic of discussion at UF’s Board of Trustees meeting last month.
The trustees voted in favor of a makeover for the Stephen C. O’Connell Center and a renovation of Newell Hall into a study center.
The trustees also heard a report from Vice President for Business Affairs Curtis Reynolds regarding building a new president’s house.
About 82 percent of UF’s peer universities provide a house for their presidents, Reynolds said. The average size is about 10,000 square feet.
Current UF President Bernie Machen does not live in the house, which Reynolds said is outdated, hard to secure and not private.
The building is “inadequate in size and facilities for the needs of an AAU school president,” Reynolds said.
The President Housing Policy Subcommittee recommended the construction of an entirely new house on UF’s property. Private donations would fund the project, Reynolds said.
The new house would be built on the 7-acre former Baby Gator area on Village Drive, a location Reynolds said has buffer zones for the president’s privacy.
It would be about 8,000 to 10,000 square feet and would cost about $2 million.
The old house would become a facility for events and receptions, Reynolds said.
A motion was also passed to officially name the women’s lacrosse practice field as The Rob Gidel Family Practice Field.
The new indoor tennis facility was named The Charles R. and Nancy V. Perry Indoor Tennis Facility.
Contact Julia Glum at jglum@alligator.org.
