The Joint West Campus Area Committee met Wednesday to further discuss and develop the Campus Master Plan, a project aimed at reorganizing and revitalizing the UW-Madison campus.
The comprehensive plan contains new ideas for improving most campus areas such as constructing new residence halls, expanding Union South, consolidating parking space and adding new buildings to east campus, said Alan Fish, UW-Madison Facilities Planning and Management Associate Vice Chancellor.
Campus Master Plan focuses primarily on improving connections between east and west campus by increasing convenient transportation and changing building placement to create more open space.
\We want to eventually create a campus-like feel all over campus,"" said Fish, adding that the campus would radiate a ""traditional character"" though built in a modern framework.
According to Fish, the fastest developments will be seen in the Medical and Health Sciences area on west campus, east side housing projects, University Square construction, and a new museum, all of which could be done by 2009.
""From a student standpoint I see this as a big gain,"" said Fish. ""Better student life facilities, housing, unions, better classrooms, more research opportunities, more green space, a more connected campus. We've really had a positive reaction from students.""
The City of Madison, campus groups and surrounding villages have all contributed their thoughts on the plan. Fish said welcoming all input would increase the probability of the project being carried out and enforced in the future.
Dawn Crim, interim special assistant to the chancellor, said she believes an incredible job was done with this plan. ""From start to finish it has had the input of surrounding neighborhoods and has been an open and transparent process,"" Crim said, ""It really is everyone's plan and one that going 25 years out should serve the campus well.""
The completed project would generate a 25 percent net growth over the next 20 years for UW campus, adding seven million square feet to the existing 18 million square feet, said Fish.
No cost estimates have yet been conducted, but about $1 billion has been spent on construction projects since 1990 and, although ambitious, this project will be similar in pace, said Fish. Past projects have been partly funded by the state as well as by gifts and grants.
After brainstorming for 1.5 years, Facilities Planning and Management will publish the plan's final documents in November. The plan will be presented to the UW System Board of Regents in December and the Campus Planning Committee will decide whether to adopt the Master Plan.
