Marquette Demolishing Everything Behind Humphrey Hall

[Macallan 18]

Is this new open plot of land the future home of McCormick's replacement?


The university on Friday, June 12, will begin demolition work on three buildings and a parking structure on the campus' west edge. Buildings that formerly housed the Academic Support Center and Child Care Center, as well as the Helfaer Building, Boiler Plant and the parking structure adjacent to Humphrey Hall, will be razed over the course of several months.

As a result, there may be intermittent short-term parking, sidewalk and traffic lane closures. Please watch for signs and be mindful of and careful around the demolition areas.

Work hours will comply with university and city standards for noise, and no work will take place earlier than 8 a.m. during the school year.

Long-term plans for the new space will be considered as part of the university's master planning process. In the interim, the land will be converted to green space.

http://today.marquette.edu/2015/06/some-building-parking-structure-demolition-to-begin-friday/

[chapman]

Demolitioning?  I'm sure the word you were looking for was "demolishing".

Is this new open plot of land the future home of McCormick's replacement?

Long-term plans for the new space will be considered as part of the university's master planning process. In the interim, the land will be converted to green space.

Hopefully.  No need for an interim, waste of grass seed.   

[MU111]

I hadn't heard about this.  Thanks for sharing.

[GooooMarquette]

Wasn't the new MU/Bucks sports medicine building supposed to also replace Halfaer?  That was just announced a few months ago - I can't imagine it's anywhere near completion, is it?  Is there going to be a big gap in student rec facilities for a while?

[warriorchick]

Wasn't the new MU/Bucks sports medicine building supposed to also replace Halfaer?  That was just announced a few months ago - I can't imagine it's anywhere near completion, is it?  Is there going to be a big gap in student rec facilities for a while?

The Helfaer building is a different facility.  As the title suggests, it is behind Humphrey Hall (the former Children's Hospital).

[GooooMarquette]

The Helfaer building is a different facility.  As the title suggests, it is behind Humphrey Hall (the former Children's Hospital).

Ahh, thanks.  For most of the past 25 years, my time on campus has been mostly limited to the Union area when I'm in town for games, so I wasn't exactly sure of the location.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I can't even imagine the space they're talking about. The child care center and academic support facility are nowhere near eachother.

[barfolomew]

In the interim, the land will be converted to green space.

"Green space" is thinly veiled code for "football field", people...

[wildbillsb]

+1000!  Excellente, senor.

[Eldon]

"Green space" is thinly veiled code for "football field", people...

LOL Well done

[Macallan 18]

I can't even imagine the space they're talking about. The child care center and academic support facility are nowhere near eachother.

Before the child care center moved to its new digs on 19th street a few years ago, it used to be in the building that was part of the Academic Support Facility.

The highlighted area in the map below is what will be demolished.

Anyone know what the Helfaer Building was used for? Offices? Storage?

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Before the child care center moved to its new digs on 19th street a few years ago, it used to be in the building that was part of the Academic Support Facility.

The highlighted area in the map below is what will be demolished.

Anyone know what the Helfaer Building was used for? Offices? Storage?

Practice spaces. Literally nothing in there. We would have air band practices there and the only thing there were martial arts materials in a small closet.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I didn't even know there was campus buildings on that block behind Humphrey.

[mu03eng]

Well $hit looks like girl in white is going to have to occupy Humphrey full time.

That parking garage needed to come down in 03 when I parked there, wonder where the residents of Humphrey are going to park now.

[Skatastrophy]

Practice spaces. Literally nothing in there. We would have air band practices there and the only thing there were martial arts materials in a small closet.

Yeah, we used to have crew practice in one of those buildings.

[jsglow]

These were all pretty old structure of modest utility to Marquette.  I'm quite confident that there isn't a specific plan for the space yet but I do know that MU is kicking off a major fundraising campaign later this year.  The initial 18 month phase will be to court some big time donors so unless you are on the short list for that expect rollout of the campaign publicly at a later date.  You'll say that MU is always raising money but do understand that the Magis campaign ended about 5 years ago.  There some restructuring taking place in Advancements right now that signal the commencement of the new initiative.

Anyway, Mike seems absolutely committed to the next phase of university development.  He knows that land is a precious commodity for an urban school.  We've seen block acquisitions on the east side of campus.  The clearing of this site fits the model.  But I think it a bit premature to speculate what might end up there although housing certainly makes sense.  But I must say, a football field really made me chuckle. 

[Skatastrophy]

More housing would make the most sense. I don't know if this is a popular opinion, but McCormick is an eyesore on prime real estate. Putting a large freshman dorm on 17th could free up the possibility of repurposing both the McCormick land and the parking lot north of it on 17th for something else.

[jsglow]

More housing would make the most sense. I don't know if this is a popular opinion, but McCormick is an eyesore on prime real estate. Putting a large freshman dorm on 17th could free up the possibility of repurposing both the McCormick land and the parking lot north of it on 17th for something else.

Totally agree.  McCormick isn't too long for the world (I'll guess less than 10 years) but it's yet to be seen if an alternative to new construction emerges.  For example, a Marquette purchase of the Ardmore building might alter the thinking.  I'm not suggesting that anything is in the works but we can't necessarily predict the future.  I'd too love to re-purpose the McCormick/parking lot footprint along 16th.

[muwarrior69]

I can remember when McCormick was being built. Why would they demolish McCormick and not Schroeder which is older?

[jsglow]

I can remember when McCormick was being built. Why would they demolish McCormick and not Schroeder which is older?

Schroeder is simply a much better building.  Almost no chance that goes away anytime soon.  I'd actually expect it to fill the McCormick Frosh slot someday.

[warriorchick]

I can remember when McCormick was being built. Why would they demolish McCormick and not Schroeder which is older?

McCormick was a POS in 1981 when I arrived on campus, and it looks even worse now.  You can tell they tried to maximize square footage at the cost of quality construction that would not last in the long term.   In retrospect, the whole strategy of "Let's throw up a mod-looking building made out of cheap materials and fill it with 750 freshmen boys" was probably not wise.

Schroeder, on the other hand, is an all-brick building.  The window sills in the dorm rooms are made of granite.  Seeing it was named after (and I assume, funded by) the owner of some of the most legendary hotels in Milwaukee, it makes sense that he would want it built well.

[Coleman]

Why would they demolish McCormick and not Schroeder which is older?

Is that a serious question? Schroeder is the Four Seasons compared to the Beer Can. 

I lived in both.

[keefe]

a Marquette purchase of the Ardmore building

My wife lived in the Ardmore Apartments. There was a back way from upstairs that took one straight into the bar. Marquette should honor its heritage and refrain from destroying cherished landmarks in the name of progress. First it was the Plankinton Mansion, then the Lanche...and now the Ardmore? For the love of God...why? Why?

[keefe]

Is that a serious question? Schroeder is the Four Seasons compared to the Beer Can.  

I lived in both.

Schroeder's 10th Floor held a priceless collection of album art until some Philistines painted over it...

[warriorchick]

My wife lived in the Ardmore Apartments. There was a back way from upstairs that took one straight into the bar. Marquette should honor its heritage and refrain from destroying cherished landmarks in the name of progress. First it was the Plankinton Mansion, then the Lanche...and now the Ardmore? For the love of God...why? Why?

Cool your jets, keefe...no one said anything about knocking it down. If the building is still structurally sound, they might keep it as university-owned housing.  I know it's Marquette's goal to purchase any property that borders the campus if and when it becomes available.  For example, they own the entire block of Wells street that Chili is on. The Ardmore Building is basically an island in regards to privately-owned property.  Not sure why.