VCU to renovate old Ukrop’s for classroom space, library storage
Virginia Commonwealth University plans to renovate the old Ukrop's Super Markets building on Grace Street for use as classroom space and for storage of little-used library materials.
An amendment to VCU's six-year capital plan was approved yesterday by the finance, investment and property committee of the board of visitors. The plan is expected to be approved today by the full board when it meets to set tuition rates for the next academic year.
VCU will spend $3.25 million to renovate about 33,500 square feet of space by December. About 60 percent of the space will be converted into six classrooms that will accommodate 50 to 80 students by the spring semester.
The remaining space will house library stacks to store 150,000 to 200,000 volumes that are infrequently used. That will free an entire floor of VCU's Cabell Library for study space.
The volumes placed in storage will be cataloged so that they will still be available for use by request.
The VCU Real Estate Foundation bought the property in December for $9 million from a Pennsylvania-based development company. The university acquired the property from the foundation in February.
The store, which closed a year ago, is on 2.5 acres between Grace and Broad streets at Harrison Street.
Brian J. Ohlinger, VCU's associate vice president for facilities management, said the site has been envisioned for mixed-use development. But the cost of such a project would be too high to undertake now.
Yesterday, the committee also approved a capital plan amendment allowing the renovation of a portion of the seventh floor of Sanger Hall into a cardiac research laboratory. The $4.39 million cost mostly will be paid by the National Institutes of Health with federal stimulus money. VCU expects to use only $336,000 of its money on the project.
The 8,125 square feet of lab space will support research by the Department of Internal Medicine's cardiology division.
Contact Karin Kapsidelis at (804) 649-6119 or
.
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Reader Reactions
‘R’-yeah, I was told VCU was going to get this property at the time Ukrop’s was vacating. Don’t know why the delay in acquisition, seems the price would have climbed in the past 2 or so years. I’ve been down to MCV/ VCU Hospital and the staff are speaking of the services that are being minimized or cut-off. This is a state-funded hospital, of course, so I wonder if the “property allocation” money must be used or it probably will be lost, why not have some type of ‘waiver’ to allow reallocation of funds to other services.
As I mentioned, 6 classrooms, and storage with some parking places is not much of a return on $9 million. Whoever, brokered that deal, really has the ear of the right person. Who did broker this deal and why the delay? I could buy a really nice Citation Jet for $9 mil, feed the poor, the homeless for the next 20 years, buy a house in Windsor Farms, donate $$$ to Fan Free or Crossroads—they do medical services…the possibilities
Re: lakotahope
The funds used by VCU for these types of acquisitions are limited in scope. They were awarded as building grants several years before the economic downturn and are part of the university’s long term capacity goals. Building grants can’t be readily liquidated to pay for anything else so the money either remains dormant or it’s spent on expansion and renovation projects, but it can’t just be tapped into for whatever hardship.
I think the general idea is that the state allocates how these funds can be spent with the idea that they’re looking at aggregate data and planning the needs assessments of Central Virginia’s higher education facilities for the next decade plus.
I think something more useful for the area—not just 6 classrooms and a storage shed. All of this for just a measly $9 million…
From the slipping grip of Jim Ukrops and into the Ram’s fist!!
The store was blight and now it’s going to be renovated and maintained. Cheers!
Remember when VCU told the Oregon Hill Neighborhod Association, the City, and the state officials that there was no alternatives to demolishing historic Cary Street stables and Green Alley in order to create a huge student recreational center?
THEY LIED! VCU cannot be trusted! Our elected representatives have given VCU permission to do anything they want.
VCU is buying Richmond…VCU paid $9 million—sure are spending alot of money for such a small parcel of land, building
and location. Cloverleaf Mall with 46 acres was almost bought by the County for only $4.5 million. With MCV/ VCU in a money crunch, how can VCU school justify the expenditure. State school, public funds—that sort of thing????
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