By Chuck Toney
ctoney@uga.edu
A four-year project to convert D.W. Brooks Drive into an extension of central campus greenspace will begin July 1, 2001, the university announced last month. When all four projected phases are complete, the $4 million D.W. Brooks Mall will include wide sidewalks, open grassy areas, fountains, trees, an amphitheater and a series of terraces from Conner Hall to the Miller Plant Sciences Building.
“There’s never been anything like this on South Campus,” says University Architect Danny Sniff. “We’ve all enjoyed the transformation of Herty Field; this is like five Herty Fields in one.”
Brooks Drive will remain open to vehicle traffic until construction requires that it be closed, probably near the end of 2001. Bus routes will be altered before the start of fall semester so that buses will not travel Brooks Drive. To compensate for the loss of Brooks Drive, Sanford Drive will become a two-way street for its full length when Brooks Drive is closed.
“Adding this substantial area of greenspace to South Campus has great benefits for students, faculty and staff,” says UGA President Michael F. Adams. “As it does on North Campus, this beautiful mall will serve as an outdoor classroom, informal meeting space, and simply as a place to relax. This is an important step in enhancing the learning environment at UGA.”
The UGA physical master plan calls for a swath of greenspace from one end of campus to the other. The D.W. Brooks project will accomplish that goal while also upgrading computer service, storm water drainage capacity and other services.
“We are meeting two needs with this one project, as we are both upgrading infrastructure on South Campus and fulfilling the campus master plan with the creation of new greenspace,” says Hank Huckaby, senior vice president for finance and administration.
A 1906 campus master plan was one source for the design of the walkways and gardens proposed for D.W. Brooks Mall, according to Sniff, who calls the project a restoration. He says it will provide the kind of aesthetic space that North Campus is known for.
The first phase of the project involves providing alternate access for service vehicles, emergency vehicles, buses and personal automobiles. The second phase, which will require the demolition of Brooks Drive itself, will upgrade the infrastructure to accommodate future South Campus construction, including the Coverdell Building for Biomedical and Health Sciences. The third phase will install the sidewalks, and the fourth phase will complete the transformation with the amenities of landscaping, lawns and fountains. |
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