NAU is developing a plan for growth, circulation and changes in education.
Building all the projects in the master plan would cost more than $2 billion, said NAU spokeswoman Kimberly Ann Ott.
“As a result, the specific timing of projects will largely be dependent on opportunities to identify and generate resources,” she said.
New on-campus dormitories would address a shortage of affordable housing in Flagstaff that prompted the City Council to declare a housing emergency in December 2020.
NAU will submit its campus master plan to the Arizona Board of Regents in November. If approved, the final plan will provide a blueprint for development over the next decade, said Bjorn Flugstad, NAU senior vice president of university finance.
An NAU team led by project manager Andrew Iacona has been working since April 2022 on the plan with assistance from the DLR Group consultants. The team held 80 focus groups with students, faculty, staff and Flagstaff residents to gather input. The outreach included close to 1,500 participants.
“There were a lot of great ideas that have been brought forth from all the different sessions and outreach,” Flugstad said. “That’s what has really been exciting: to see what this [campus] could look like.”
Students identified circulation issues on campus roads and paths with conflicts between cars, buses, pedestrians, cyclists and skateboarders. They suggested better lighting, better paths across campus and improved access to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Other suggestions included installing electric-vehicle chargers and solar panels on campus buildings and parking lots to help NAU achieve its sustainability goals.
Flagstaff residents suggested improving parking access to campus for the general public.
Josh Maher, NAU associate vice president for community relations, said NAU is committed to improving campus access and signage so visitors can easily navigate to their destination. A new formal entryway is a possibility.
As it is, Flagstaff visitors might not realize there is a major university here as they drive through the city, Maher said.
Project manager Iacona said NAU has been studying a possible new gateway to the campus at the Y-intersection where West Route 66 merges into Milton Road. It’s one of the city’s most congested intersections.
“Any project and anticipated impacts would be reviewed,” said Doug Nintzel, Arizona Department of Transportation spokesman. “The review process can determine what, if any, mitigations would be required.”
The master plan will make recommendations for proposed demolitions, renovations and new construction of campus buildings on the existing 829-acre campus. The plan is designed to honor the architectural history of the campus and optimize existing buildings before building new ones.
NAU is planning three new housing projects over the next decade, including one on central campus to replace the one-story Gateway Student Success Center, Ott said.
Undergraduate enrollment on the NAU campus was just over 20,000 in the spring semester. It is expected to be close to that this fall. The university projects significant growth in the next decade but does not have enrollment projections 10 years out, Ott said.
NAU opened in 1899 as Northern Arizona Normal School. It was granted university status in 1966. The historic North Quad features original Moenkopi sandstone buildings, including iconic Old Main. Central campus has buildings from the 1950s to the ‘70s, along with contemporary structures, such as the Science and Health Building, Science Labs and Communications Building. South Campus buildings are close to 50 years old.
Some of the buildings are old and susceptible to water damage, said Jay, a second-year geology student and NAU full-time custodian who declined to give her last name for privacy reasons.
“The Science Building flooded last year from all that snow,” she said. “For a while, the walls near the floor and stuff were just wrecked. I think a lot of that kind of ties into how these buildings are old and could use a bit of renovation.”
Aside from that, Jay said her biggest issue to improve NAU is reducing tuition costs. Undergraduate tuition for Arizona residents is $11,352 for the 2023-24 academic year.
Acacia Worsley, a sophomore studying hotel and restaurant management, had a modest suggestion for improving the campus.
“I’d like to see more seating areas. I know there’s some benches and stuff but maybe some more group areas where people can hang out inside.”
Getting around campus has not been a problem for her.
“I use my scooter mostly and I also use some of the bus transportation,” she said. “I think it’s really good.”
The previous NAU master plan was completed in 2010 with a minor update in 2015, Flugstad said.
The plan will address the changing nature of higher education with online classes and the advent of artificial intelligence and robots.
“It has changed significantly since the pandemic,” Maher said. “We’re taking a look at how we use our space. In the past, education was delivered in person…but things will continue to evolve.” FBN
By Peter Corbett, FBN
Photo by Peter Corbett: One of NAU’s modern buildings is the Science and Health Building in the center of campus.
