OCU Nursing Expansion

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OCU plans $8.5 million expansion of nursing facility
Pamela A. Grady
10.14.2009

Oklahoma City University’s Kramer School of Nursing at NW 27 and Blackwelder Ave. will soon undergo an $8.5-million expansion.

Built in 1994, the original single-level, 16,000-square-foot building was designed to serve 100 students. The nursing school is expecting 325 students to enroll during its spring 2010 semester.

The new three-story structure consisting of 50,000 square feet of space will connect with the current nursing school building.

Most of the new space will be used for classrooms and labs. The building will have 10 classrooms, six seminar rooms and three labs. The labs will include mock hospital rooms where students can practice their skills in a simulation setting.

The additional space, according to nursing school Dean Marvel Williamson, is necessary because of the program’s rising enrollment and the nation’s rising demand for nurses.

“We’ve seen a 382-percent growth in enrollment over the past few years,” Williamson said. “Because we accept all qualified applicants and let them begin without waiting on a list, it was just a matter of time before we outgrew our current building. That’s good news — with the country’s severe shortage of nurses, we hope to enroll even more.”

The project is being funded through grants from the Inasmuch Foundation, St. Anthony Hospital/SSM Health Care and donations from various foundations and individuals.

Herman Meinders and Ladonna Kramer Meinders, whose names already grace the OCU business school and current nursing school, returned to support the university’s latest endeavor with a grant through the Meinders Foundation.

Frankfurt Short Bruza is heading architectural designs and Wynn Construction has been selected to build the new facility.

The school will host a public groundbreaking at 11:30 a.m. on October 28 outside the current building.

[Midtowner]

OCU really has top-notch leadership. I have no doubts that this'll be a huge success.

[Pete]

Considering the national financial funk, there is a lot of construction underway or getting ready to start in central OKC: this large OCU project, lots of big buildings at the OU Health Science Center, Devon Tower and parking garage, Myriad Gardens, downtown streetscape, the Ford Center improvements, the new I-40, and Boathouse Row just to name several off the top of my head.

All these projects will be wrapping up in the next few years and by that time, private development will no doubt be back on the upswing.

OKC is lucky to have so much to carry it through a time where most cities are pretty dormant. I think we're poised to explode out of the blocks once the economy gets rolling again.

[OKCMallen]

I wonder how this will impact the idea of moving the law school downtown, if at all.

[ThePlainsman]

Could OCU please grow west and wipe out those section 8 apartments on Penn? It's sad to think how close OCU is to that 3 blocks of blight.

[gmwise]

maybe need to check figures..closer to 12 million$ expansion.

[mugofbeer]

I wonder how this will impact the idea of moving the law school downtown, if at all.

Why is OCU considering moving the law school downtown when they own so much additional land around the main campus?

[Midtowner]

I wonder how this will impact the idea of moving the law school downtown, if at all.

Probably not at all... The nursing school is on the other side of campus. While the nursing majors sometimes have to take gen. ed. classes, as you well know, law students typically are oblivious to the existence of the outside campus except insofar as those other students impact the law students' ability to find good parking.

[gmwise]

Keep in mind the Nursing program is among the top 10% in the Nation.
And students love closeby parking.

[warreng88]

I wonder how this will impact the idea of moving the law school downtown, if at all.

I don't see that being affected at all. Keep in mind the plan to move the OCU Law School downtown was a 20 year plan. Here is the link to that specific thread:

http://www.okctalk.com/okc-metro-are...-downtown.html

[Midtowner]

Why is OCU considering moving the law school downtown when they own so much additional land around the main campus?

Because they're either going to have to do some major renovations at the current facility or move downtown. There is a trend with law schools in moving to downtown areas. Doing so would make them more competitive as students would be just a couple of blocks away from two courthouses, so internship and externship opportunities would be greater and alums would be more likely to interact with the law school as the law library would be more conveniently located.

The deal is that the ABA, the body which oversees the quality of law schools has put into place an expectation that law schools and their law libraries be in the same building. At OCU, they're a 50-yard sidewalk apart from each other, but that's not good enough for the ABA. So now there's this choice -- renovate or move. Both choices obviously have their benefits.

[warreng88]

Could OCU please grow west and wipe out those section 8 apartments on Penn? It's sad to think how close OCU is to that 3 blocks of blight.

I hope OCU can continue their growth outward when Tom retires next year. I know he is going to continue to be involved with their fundraising efforts, but I could see it declining.

I drove by the campus last week and saw a lot of work being done to fill in and the drainage toward the SW corner of campus. I wonder if they plan on building more dorms there or possible a parking garage.

I would urge people to drive by about once every couple of months (especially to the north of campus) and notice how many houses are being brought down with the anticipation of building something in its place. It's amazing how much has changes since I graduated in 2002.

[jbrown84]

I live very close to campus. Glad to see the growth of OKC's namesake college. Seems like a lot of that land being cleared on the north is for athletic fields.

[bombermwc]

I still don't ever see the law school moving. The university spent a good amount of efort moving classes back to campus from downtown...mainly business school. I don't see any need for the law school to move downtown....not that they would be missed.

The only problem I have with the nursing building is that they continue to take away surface parking as they have for years. But they don't replace it with anything. That was always one of the great things about OCU, was that I could park right outside the door of the building I was going to, but they are going to be taking one of the largest lots on campus. They keep building the lots farther out from the core of the campus. It's not quite to UCO status where you walk a mile to get anywhere from the eastern lots, but it's losing the small feel. A garage would be nice, but if they make you pay for using it, then forget it. OU screws their students over on a daily basis with that crap.

[warreng88]

I still don't ever see the law school moving. The university spent a good amount of efort moving classes back to campus from downtown...mainly business school. I don't see any need for the law school to move downtown....not that they would be missed..

Usually I would agree, but they are talking about moving the law school to the core to shore area in twenty years. Who knows at that time what the campus will look like?

The only problem I have with the nursing building is that they continue to take away surface parking as they have for years. But they don't replace it with anything. That was always one of the great things about OCU, was that I could park right outside the door of the building I was going to, but they are going to be taking one of the largest lots on campus. They keep building the lots farther out from the core of the campus. It's not quite to UCO status where you walk a mile to get anywhere from the eastern lots, but it's losing the small feel. A garage would be nice, but if they make you pay for using it, then forget it. OU screws their students over on a daily basis with that crap.

I spoke to a member of my fraternity at OCU and he said they filled in the drainage runoff on the south side of campus (just west of the law library) and that will create a large surface parking lot. There are talks in the next couple of years of building a parking garage on that site. Also, they are going to be building a new fraternity row on the north side of campus (near the baseball and soccer fields) and leveling the Kappa Sig and Lambda Chi house to make way for more buildings.

[OKCMallen]

They want to put a theology school in the law building per President McDaniel.

[gmwise]

I hope they keep a upbeat and positive relationship with the near by property owners.
Near its current boundaries.

[okclee]

I would like to see OCU receive the same type of area benefits as Devon is getting. OCU could dedicate all tax revenue from construction projects to the neighborhood surrounding area. If I understand correctly this is what Devon is doing for surrounding improvements.

Does anyone know if this would be possible?

[Midtowner]

I have pretty good information as to where the school would go. I imagine that significant renovations would be necessary, but probably not a TIF district. I don't think parking would be a huge issue either.

[metro]

I would like to see OCU receive the same type of area benefits as Devon is getting. OCU could dedicate all tax revenue from construction projects to the neighborhood surrounding area. If I understand correctly this is what Devon is doing for surrounding improvements.

Does anyone know if this would be possible?

Even if it was possible, I doubt OCU wants to self impose a tax on themselves, as it would be an additional burden on the students. Devon can afford to choose to tax themselves for $130 million to the benefit of everyone in OKC and a massive overhaul of over 30 blocks in Downtown OKC including the Myriad Gardens.

[gmwise]

God Bless Devon...
Does any one know if Chesapeake Energy is going to put a facade on those god aweful parking garages?

[Pete]

OCU doesn't pay taxes.

And Devon isn't taxing itself, they are obligated to pay tax while under construction, and it's that money that will be redirected to improve the Myriad Gardens, downtown streetscapes and other downtown improvements.

[bombermwc]

If you're an OU person, you aren't spoiled by parking like an OCU student. We're used to parking 5 feet from the door and like it that way LOL!

I think the law building would be a great location for theology. They've been sort of crammed in places most of their life, which is really ironic with it being a methodist school. Now in the 20 years for C2S's masterplan (and we know how often master plans work out...crap look at OCU's from 2003 or so and they didn't follow crap from it)...we need to think about where would law go on the current campus....with the library included.

My vote would be exactlly where they are talking about witht he drainage. If LCA, KA, etc. are all going, at least the KA site would be included in the area already. The BSU is already there, but could easily be put somewhere else. There aren't many homes there north of 23rd to the apartments, Kentucky to Virginia. That would put it very visibly on 23rd (the law folks love to been seen like that...and to have quick access in and out). Plus they can go up at least 4 floors and since it's high on the hill there, it would make it pretty darn impressive looking. That would also keep it from sprawling too badly. It's barely farther out from it's current location. Personally I think that's a better option than somewhere east of Blackwelder.

But note: in the general plan of buildings Loefler HAS to be next. I can't think of any reason why anyone on campus should get any other facilities before they find a way to replace Loefler. It's a total piece and it sucks. It's completely inadequate for what's in there and is embarassing as a representation of "the sciences" at OCU. As a CSCI major, I was always dissapointed in that building...and allergic to it as well. I sneezed for 5 minutes every time I walked in the place.

[gmwise]

Arent you precious..lol

[Midtowner]

KA either died or was kicked off campus.