The former fraternity and sorority housing buildings, University Residence North and South, are currently being demolished to create more green space around the UNK campus.
URN and URS were constructed in 1991 and 1992 to be temporary housing for the fraternities and sororities as safe, more education-oriented halls on campus for the communities. After 30 years, and the University’s realization that the renovations needed to keep the buildings in operation would cost an estimated $37 million, the University decided to have the buildings demolished.
The demolition of URN and URS residence halls began in July and is expected to continue into November. After the demolition is finished, the remaining land will be used to create more green spaces.
Green spaces provided on campus are great for creating a more open feeling. These areas can be used for many things like campus activities, outdoor intramural sports or for students to get away from the stress of classes and relax outdoors in the grass. While the green spaces are a great resource for students to take advantage of, could this new space on campus be used more efficiently?
Student parking is always a hot topic of discussion on campus and with the new green space being added, the discussion of the opportunity for additional parking lots on campus has been buzzing among UNK students. The hassle surrounding parking has been enough for some students to give up on purchasing a parking permit. This is because many students find themselves having to park off campus due to the lack of parking spaces available, despite having purchased a parking permit.
The University’s solution to this problem for this school year is to reduce the number of parking permits sold from more than the number of spaces available to the same amount. While this has been effective to some degree, it also decreases the number of students able to purchase a parking pass, creating another issue on its own.
An obvious solution to both issues students face regarding parking is additional student parking spaces on campus. The new green spaces being added to campus could instead become new parking lots, creating a solution to the problems surrounding campus parking.
While the construction of new parking lots would resolve a lot of tension among students on campus, it would also be far more expensive than the school’s plans for the installation of green space. Creating this green space is ultimately the cheapest option for the school and it does increase the overall visual and aesthetic appeal of the campus.
While some students say there are other things the space could be used for that would be more efficient or productive, the University’s choice to create more green space is the most convenient and cost-efficient decision the University could make for the time being. While there aren’t any current plans for the use of the area, this green space still gives the opportunity for the University to create projects in that area if they choose to in the future.
