A New Vision for the College Avenue Campus

February 23, 2005

Members of the Rutgers Community:

Rutgers has witnessed tremendous progress in the City of New Brunswick in recent years, much to the university's benefit. New Brunswick today boasts a vibrant theater district, new retail stores and restaurants, and major new Rutgers buildings emerging along George Street. Continuing this momentum, I am pleased to announce a new vision for the College Avenue Campus that will transform the campus into a distinctive academic center where campus meets community. Many discussions among members of the university community, and with our partners in New Brunswick, will take place during the months ahead to refine the elements of the vision, identify funding, and devise a concrete plan.

The vision that I am outlining today aligns with the university's physical master plan and complements our improvements to other campuses, such as University Square in Newark, the Law School facility in Camden, and the College Town initiative at Livingston. Beautiful campuses and premier academic facilities are magnets for attracting the best faculty, who in turn attract high-achieving students. These individuals compare Rutgers to the top-ranked universities in the nation when making their choices about where to work and study. Our College Avenue vision includes a number of significant proposed projects that will draw these students and faculty to Rutgers and will serve as a source of pride to the citizens of our state:

  • The transformation of College Avenue into a landscaped pedestrian greenway, which will eventually be closed to vehicular traffic.
  • The development of plans for a major new academic building on College Avenue.
  • The establishment of a significant Rutgers presence - a visitor center, a bookstore, the Rutgers University Press, and the Rutgers Club - in a new mixed-use gateway building that will connect to the New Brunswick train station and face onto campus.
  • The construction of a transportation hub in the space now occupied by Records Hall.
  • The replacement of the River Dorms with higher-quality student housing and a dining facility.
  • The installation of a one-stop student-service hub in Brower Commons.
  • The construction of a mixed-use development on land bordered by College Avenue, Huntington Street, and Route 18.

In pursuing this vision over the coming years and meeting the logistical, parking, and transportation challenges such a transformation will bring, we will make our campus a more attractive place to live, learn, and work. At this point, however, it is just that: a vision. While some details are in place, many more are yet to be determined, not the least of which is how we will raise the funds needed for these projects.

This e-mail is just a first step in bringing this vision to the Rutgers community. In the coming months, my administration will make presentations and invite discussion at a number of forums. We hope to gain the input of students, faculty, staff, and alumni of Rutgers, as well as our neighbors in the New Brunswick community, and I welcome your participation.

For more information on this vision, please visit http://collegeavenuecampus.rutgers.edu/.

Richard L. McCormick
President
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey