This week President Simpson put the Lee Road project on hold. Lee Road has been in the planning stages for nearly four years. Originally commissioned by former President William Greiner, the project would have connected the Academic Spine to the Ellicott Complex, combining high-density housing with retail areas to generate an urban feel on campus. Simpson refused to go through with the current plan, expressing concern that the plans that do not reflect present campus conditions.
With such a major project, his concern is valid, and his desire to develop a unified long-term strategy for campus construction is noble. Furthermore, his stated desire to develop an academic strategy first, and then plan construction to fit that strategy, will win over many students and faculty who felt the last administration neglected academics in favor of flashy sports and construction projects.
But whatever form Simpson's plan ultimately takes, it should retain one feature of the Lee Road plan -- more campus housing. Simpson should also develop this plan as quickly as possible. There's no time to dally around while 155 UB students who turned their forms in on time live in off-campus hotels.
The project has been long in the works, as Greiner held off on breaking ground knowing that he would be retiring before completion. The delay will continue so that Simpson may make his mark and develop a sense of comfort with this huge project. This is understandable. A president must make decisions, which are far sweeping and will affect not only the current student body but also classes to come.
But despite the perceived problems with the Lee Road project, the need for additional housing will not diminish. It is not a problem unique to UB. According to the Buffalo News, other Western New York colleges were also forced to house students in motels. This is the second straight year that UB has resorted to motels. Clearly class sizes are trending upward.
And while UB officials should involve the community in Simpson's long-term campus construction strategy, they should burn the midnight oil to get that strategy to the drawing board, and then work as quickly as possible to break ground. Housing should be a major part of the plan. Putting transfer students in motels for years to come is not an acceptable solution to the housing crunch.
