University of Dayton Master Plan 2008

University of DaytonCAMPUS MASTER PLAN

February 2008

University of Dayton CAMPUS MASTER PLAN 2 February 2008

BLUEPRINT for the FUTURE

February 2008

Dear students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the University of Dayton,

The University of Dayton stands at a crossroads. We are poised to embark on

the largest expansion of campus in our history — and, with that, we have an op-

portunity to spur development

in the city of Dayton.

We have established our rep-

utation in higher education by

focusing on building academic

excellence and a vibrant, wel-

coming learning-living environ-

ment in the Catholic, Marianist

tradition. This new master plan

for all 259 acres of campus will

guide our physical development

as one of the nation’s preemi-

nent Catholic universities. It

ties directly to the University of

Dayton’s strategic plan and will

serve as a bold blueprint for the

campus of the future. We will fi-

nance the plan’s implementation through a combination of University resources,

fund-raising, private-public partnerships, and federal and state grants.

I thank Burt Hill, an award-winning international architecture, design and

engineering firm, for helping us identify future needs and imagine the future.

I appreciate the guidance of the board of trustees; Richard Perales, University

campus planning director; the campus master planning steering committee; and

all who became involved in the process through focus groups, interviews, surveys

and feedback sessions.

Our new master plan will preserve UD’s rich history and educational tradi-

tions — and allow us to build for the future with faith and confidence. May God

continue to bless our work together.

Sincerely,

Daniel J. Curran, Ph.D.

President

February 2008 3 CAMPUS MASTER PLAN University of Dayton


We have established our reputation in higher education by focusing on building academic excellence and a vibrant, welcoming learning-living environment in the Catholic, Marianist tradition. This new master plan for all 259 acres of campus will guide our physical development as one of the nation’s preeminent Catholic universities. `



This is a pivotal time in

the University of Dayton’s

history. We are poised to

embark on an expansion

of campus that will meet

our needs well into the

future and give us the

opportunity to spur devel-

opment in our region.”

P r e s i d e n t D a n i e l J . C u r r a n

“We stand at a crossroads.



February 2008 5 CAMPUS MASTER PLAN University of DaytonFebruary 2008 5 CAMPUS MASTER PLAN University of Dayton



dation of the renaissance of Brown Street.” With University Shoppes and more recently University Place (in which UD is a partner) coupled with established businesses, Brown Street has become one of Dayton’s most thriving busi-ness districts. UD’s recent partnerships also include the new Court-yard Dayton — University of Dayton hotel.

Partner-ships and mixed-use de-velopment, such as that envisioned for the westernmost portion of UD’s new land, not only connect UD to the community, but they also have the practical benefit of providing revenue.

The new master land-use plan offers guidance to how such part-nerships will continue, how the parts of UD’s expanded campus will be integrated into each other and into the surrounding area, and how all that relates to develop-ment in the community, such as Sugar Camp in Oakwood or the Fairgrounds or downtown. Edito-rializing on Sept. 12 about these

proposed developments, the Dayton Daily News said that UD wants to monitor how those projects “shaped up to avoid competing in ways that are counterproductive. That makes

good sense.”Dayton

City Manager Rashad Young said, “Dayton is blessed to have a partner like the Univer-sity of Dayton. By working in partnership with other key community institutions … the University

of Dayton is showing what can be accomplished through collaboration and teamwork.”

A master land-use plan suggests locations for facilities. Decisions on what to build, when and for how much, however, are distinct matters. Those working on the land-use plan have been guided by the University’s strategic plan and operate under certain assump-tions delineated by UD administra-tors — for example, undergraduate enrollment remaining at its current optimal level, graduate enrollment growing slightly to meet needs and undergraduates living in University

region.”So wrote President Daniel J.

Curran as he asked the UD commu-nity for input on the preliminary draft of the campus master plan of how UD will make use of its land. He continued: “We remain com-mitted to our Marianist heritage, which calls us to shape our vision in response to the demands and opportunities of the times. The

final master plan will tie directly to the strategic plan and serve as a blueprint for the University of Dayton’s future.”

Helping UD imagine its future has been Burt Hill, an award-win-ning international architecture, design and engineering firm. The planners at Burt Hill had created master plans for more than 100 campuses around the country but

Planning the campus

housing. Underlying the process are several ideas including:

n The integration of learning and living is central to a Marianist education.

n UDRI is an important research arm that enhances the presence of UD in the Dayton community and beyond.

n The unique character of the student neighborhoods should be preserved as a desired living and learning environment. n

We stand at a crossroads. This is a pivotal time in the Uni-versity of

Dayton’s history. We are poised to embark on an expansion of campus that will meet our needs well into the future and give us the oppor-tunity to spur development in our

The new master land-use plan is being designed to offer guidance to … how the parts of UD’s expanded campus will be integrated into each

other and into the surrounding area.

Right, an artist’s rendering of the University Center for the Arts and an arts plaza on Brown Street. Below, a proposed treatment of the Stewart and Brown streets intersection.

“Blueprint for the Future” was compiled by Thomas M. Columbus, Debbie Juniewicz, Teri Rizvi and Deborah McCarty Smith.

Since that St. Joseph’s Day in 1850 when Father Leo Meyer, S.M., purchased from John Stuart 125 acres of land for $12,000, the school that grew into the University of Dayton has been characterized by vi-

sionary applications of Chaminade’s dictum that “new times call for new methods.” UD’s ability to adapt has surfaced in times of trouble (na-tional economic depression as well as local fire and flood) and in times of opportunity such as the boom in higher education in the wake of World War II.

A time of opportunity has come again with the addition in 2005 of 49 acres to the UD campus. That purchase increased the size of the University campus by a quarter and radically altered the nature of land-use planning. No longer is land-use planning an exercise in what can be squeezed in where. Now attention can be focused on what best goes where, on related facilities being near each other, on how it all fits together to nurture people engaging one another to learn.

Yet plans are guidelines. Build-ings are not buildings until they are built.

An emerging element of plan-ning is the interaction of campus and the city, in terms of both people and sites. A major catalyst for this interaction has been the Genesis Project, a collaboration among the city of Dayton, the University of Dayton, Miami Valley Hospital, CityWide Development Corp., County Corp., and the Fairgrounds Neighborhood launched in 2000.

Daniel J. Curran, UD president, called the Genesis Project “the foun-

An extraordinary time of opportunity

“


had yet to experience the high level of campus involvement that they found at the University of Dayton.

“There was substantially more input into this process (than at other universities we’ve done),” said Jeff Funovits, project manag-er. “I don’t think the process could have been more open. We did an extraordinary number of inter-views, work sessions and meet-ings. … The word I heard over and over again was ‘community.’”

Burt Hill conducted 75 interviews on campus and 30 interviews in the community. Students, faculty and staff from a cross section of campus par-ticipated in 13 focus groups. The campus community, alumni and the general public were invited to submit comments through a master plan Web site (http://udcampusmasterplan .udayton.edu). Burt Hill’s team analyzed parking data and con-ducted food service and market research surveys. A 13-person


See Student, Page 10

The master plan outlines several changes visitors to campus might see in the near term, the next five to seven years.

Extending the front porch

The campus master plan aims to extend UD’s welcoming, front-porch philosophy out into the wider community with highly vis-ible projects that develop the Mid Campus — the area between Brown and Main streets. Planning consul-tants see an “academic extension” that branches across Brown Street.

The plan includes:n The University Center for

the Arts and an arts plaza on Brown Street

UD’s strategic plan calls for culti-vating outstanding artistic creation. The University Center for the Arts will help to achieve that goal, show-case the significance of the arts, and serve as an asset to the campus and the community. The building is a cornerstone of the plan to extend teaching and learning across Brown Street and put a prominent, public face on the University of Dayton.

This new facility would empha-size the significance of the arts on campus and provide sorely needed space to gather the departments of visual arts, music and theater —

Planning for the near term – emphasizing student life

The near term – extending, enhancing

now dispersed in outdated facilities in the Kennedy Union, Mechanical Engineering Building, Music/Theatre Building, Reichard Hall and Rike Center. The proposed University Center for the Arts would include gallery, museum and performance space — a black box theater and small and medium-sized theaters — to attract and welcome campus visitors to high-profile arts events. Student and faculty art would be displayed in the University Center for the Arts, as would exhibits from the University’s extensive collec-tion of Marian art. The University will work closely with the local arts community to ensure that the center meets both the needs of campus and the Dayton region.

n Alumni Center Alumni are key partners in the

realization of the University’s vision. A University Alumni Center could combine an appreciation of the past with anticipated needs of the future. The facility, whose location is a matter of continuing discussion, would provide space for alumni to interact with each other and with University faculty, staff and students (10 percent of whom are children of alumni).

n Mid Campus would also provide opportunities to expand mixed-use development in the area

of Brown and Stewart streets, as market needs dictate.

n College Park Center would undergo continuing renovation to meet the needs of programs and offices locating there. The center is home to the Dayton Early College Academy, a charter school operated by the University; the School of Ed-ucation and Allied Professions doc-toral program in physical therapy; and a number of support services such as facilities management, pub-lic safety, and printing and design. Moving other offices there can free up critical space in the historic part of Mid Campus. Part of College Park Center may also be used to provide “swing space,” temporary quarters for areas undergoing renovation.

Enhancing the academic core The master plan calls for both

deletions and additions in the historic and academic core campus. Outdated structures recommended for demolition include the Mechani-cal Engineering Building, Caldwell Street Center, Reichard Hall, the Arcade (connecting Chaminade Hall with St. Mary Hall), Rike Center and a portion of the Stewart Street Garden Apartments.

Facilities that could arise to take their places or undergo substantial renovation during the next five to seven years include:

n Chaminade Hall“Chaminade Hall, the home of

the School of Education and Allied Professions, will stay at the center of campus,” Curran said. Built in 1904, Chaminade Hall boasts both his-toric vintage and a sturdy red-brick shell, and consultants consider it an “iconic campus building.” It suffers, however, from more than a century of wear and tear and from a design that no longer meets the needs of how its inhabitants teach and learn. Consultants recommend Chami-nade Hall for a major renovation.

n Roesch LibraryThe master plan recommended

renovating Roesch Library in the near-term future. Conversations

into your campus, which gives it incredible character.”

The University is committed to maintaining that character and community and to enhancing stu-dent life. The master plan contin-ues to emphasize student life in its recommendations, which are based on the guiding principles of the integration of learning and living

— central to a Marianist educa-tion — and an environment that promotes engagement.

The master plan calls for up-grades, renovations or replacement of existing buildings or facilities. Strengthening existing links from neighborhoods to campus through

campus steering committee (which included 2006-07 Student Govern-ment Association President Pat O’Grady and Linda Berning, board president-elect of the National Alumni Association) guided the work, benchmarking the prelimi-nary concepts against UD’s strate-gic plan.

Funovits shared design prin-ciples and early preliminary land-use concepts with the board of trustees in May, followed by an additional planning meeting with a smaller group of trustees during the summer. The academic senate, Higher Learning Commission ac-creditation team, alumni board of directors and chapter presidents, Educational Leadership Council, and Student Government Associa-tion participated in special presen-tations this fall. Three days of open campus forums were held this fall before the trustees met in October.

“Following 18 months of collaborative discussions with representatives from virtually all stakeholders, the board of trust-ees adopted the proposed master plan as a living document that will guide our facilities decisions into the future,” said Jack Proud, a two-time UD grad who chairs the University board of trustees.

“While many specific decisions will need to be prioritized and worked through to completion, we feel good about having well-thought-out guiding principles and a clear direction on where we’re heading. Our focus now shifts to finding the funding to turn our vision into reality.” n

The University of Dayton is more than a campus — it’s a community.

“There’s nothing like Dayton anywhere in the country,” said David Ma-

deira, principal architect for Burt Hill. “It’s unique. A lot of schools have college towns abutting their campuses. Yours is actually woven


continue about the best way to improve the library. Burt Hill con-sultants acknowledge that Roesch Library’s exterior is not well-inte-grated into the more traditional campus architecture that surrounds it, but its location is central to the expanded campus.

For the long-range plan, mem-bers of the University community are considering what a state-of-the-art library of the future might entail — recognizing that while more library services are delivered digitally, books will never en-tirely disappear. In the long term, Kennedy Union might serve as a library location at the heart of the academic core of campus. The bulk of the libraries’ holdings might be stored off campus and delivered as needed.

The University will continue to evaluate renovation versus new construction.

n Chapel of the Immaculate Conception

A chapel renovation committee, chaired by Father Chris Wittmann, S.M., director of cam-pus ministry, and Claire Renzetti, professor of sociology, will work with a liturgical consultant to plan a renovation of Immaculate Conception Chapel that increases the worship space on campus. The chapel currently seats 315 people on the main level; additional space is desired. A gathering space, a baptistery, a reconciliation chapel and multipurpose rooms are among the other needs being explored. The chapel renovation committee is guided by the liturgical principles set forth in “Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture and Worship,” the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bish-ops’ guidelines on church renova-tion. The goal of the renovation is to foster the full, dignified and graceful celebration of the church’s sacred rites.

n A STEM facilityUD’s strategic plan calls for

investment in areas of science, technology, engineering and math-ematics where the University shows the greatest promise for national and international prominence. The addition of a STEM facility, pos-sibly connected to Wohlleben Hall, would be contingent upon the level of sponsored research funding. n

Top to bottom, long-term plans include a possible campus union; a mall framed by Marycrest Complex (upper right) and a library/academic building (lower left); and new housing along Stewart Street, sharing space with other facilities including the University Center for the Arts.


Student, from Page 8 main lobby, second floor of the middle wing and the dining room.

n Stuart Complex renovations would begin in 2009. While details are not finalized, refurbished rooms, renovated bathrooms, ad-ditional community spaces and a renovated lobby are among the changes that will likely be made.

n Founders Hall, the oldest of the residence halls, built in 1954, is considered an “iconic campus building.” In addition to the Founders renovation, new housing for first-year students would also be constructed in the long term on the east side of Founders Hall. The new residence hall would mirror the existing Founders Hall design and leave room for green space between the buildings.

Environmental responsibility A “sustainable” residence hall,

inspired by students in an honors biology course and their presenta-tion at the Stander Symposium in 2007, is being considered for the north student neighborhood. The student proposal considered project details in six categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmen-tal quality, and innovation and design process.

“We could build a sustainabil-ity learning community around this facility,” Cur-ran said. “It would truly be an integration of living and learning.”

The pro-posed 75- to 90-bed facil-ity, containing both a residen-tial and an edu-cational wing, could employ solar energy and utilize geo-thermal heat-ing and cooling systems. From

low-flow showers and compost piles to corn-plastic dinnerware and organic gardens, every effort would be made to implement the three R’s: reduce your carbon foot-

print, reuse and recycle.While sustainability would be

the focus of the new residence hall, sustainability and environ-mental issues will be a focus for all new and renovated buildings.

Adequate recreation and athletic facilities

Stuart Field is considered “be-low standard” after October (when it turns to mud each year), and there are no recreational tennis courts available for student use on campus or in the student neigh-borhoods.

Renovating Stuart Field for intramural and recreational use would include the addition of synthetic turf for improved year-round use. Constructing multi-purpose and tennis courts on campus and in both the north and south student neighborhoods and the relocation of soccer fields on Mid Campus would also be priorities.

Open spaceOpen spaces form a com-

munity connection and provide places to meet, relax and work.

The master plan envisions outdoor spaces that become settings for educational enhancement and interaction and allow for chance meetings and informal conversa-tion.

“Core open spaces become the focal points for recreation and relaxation,” said Ken Worstell of Burt Hill. “Courtyards, formed by building groupings, become areas for more intimate interaction. Landscaped paths will connect the open spaces. Along the way, there will be many places to meet, sit, study, see and be seen.”

Finding your way — to and on campus

“Way finding” and campus-community connectivity are ad-dressed in the master plan. “With so many new visitors to campus, it is important that directional signage be designed and placed so there is no ambiguity or confu-sion from arrival to destination,” Worstell said. The master plan also pays attention to the edges and gateways of campus.

Campus edges and gateways

The master plan continues to emphasize

student life in its recommendations, which are based on

the guiding principles of the integration of

learning and living — central to a Marianist

education — and an environment that promotes engagement.

Conceptual Master Plan

EXISTING BUILDINGSRENOVATIONSNEW BUILDINGSNON-UD BUILDINGSENTRANCE MARQUEE

1

2

enhanced streetscapes and revised traffic patterns will create a more pedestrian-friendly campus com-munity.

The plan takes into account several philosophical ideals relat-ing to student life:

n The University’s goal is to accommodate all undergraduate students in UD-owned or approved housing;

n Environmental responsi-bility is central to all University development;

n Campus should provide adequate recreation and athletic facilities; and

n The ways visitors approach and navigate campus are impor-tant.

Accommodating all under-graduates

The University is considering a policy to have all undergradu-ates live in University-owned or University-approved housing. UD is approximately 300 beds short of housing nearly all undergradu-ate students. Additional housing needs to be constructed, and ex-isting housing needs to be up-graded. It’s all part of UD’s efforts to strengthen the learning-living environment while continuing to ensure safety. Toward those goals:

n Marycrest Complex, built in 1962 and home to about 860 first- and second-year students, underwent the second phase of a nearly $20 million renovation in summer 2007. Improvements included new windows, new plumbing, air condition-ing, upgraded electrical systems, new elevators, and expanded and renovated restrooms. The final phase is slated to begin in spring 2008 and will include renovations to the chapel,


The University of Day-ton’s master plan does not show land-use concepts for the recently acquired land between Main Street and the

Great Miami River.“We will spend the next year

addressing the environmental issues and making the site shovel-ready.” said Curran. “The revi-

The edges of campus, particu-larly along Stewart Street, need to make a strong and positive im-age statement, Worstell said. “For many years Stewart Street was a strong, rigid boundary with little indication that the visitor was ap-proaching a university campus.” Burt Hill is suggesting that the edge along Stewart be green and inviting, with interconnected, common greens that will provide the appropriate setting for Univer-sity buildings. The greens will serve a dual purpose of creating visual excitement and providing fields for recreation and athletic use.

Burt Hill recommends that the main corridors to UD be marked with clear way-finding graphics that serve as an introduction to the campus image.

Campus walk/bike greenwayA greenway is proposed to link

the entire campus, from Shroyer Road to the historic core of campus, student neighborhoods, the river and beyond. It would run along the edge of campus to provide a safe, well-lit path for pe-

talization of this brownfield may ultimately be the largest and most complex redevelopment project in Dayton. We’re taking a cautious, collaborative approach to future development on this piece of the former NCR property.”

In the past two years, the University of Dayton has attracted more than $9 million in state and federal funding for environmental

destrians and cyclists and connect all of the campus districts and the Dayton community.

StreetscapeA distinctive streetscape is pro-

posed at all campus street intersec-tions. The design would announce to visitors that they are entering campus and a pedestrian area.

Campus West – Wait and see and do it right

cleanup and infrastructure im-provements on the entire parcel between Brown Street and the river.

“The development of this land is important to the region,” said J.P. Nauseef, president and CEO of the Dayton Development Coali-tion. “It has high economic devel-opment value and the potential to attract high-value jobs and new

Each intersection would be unique in design while having common elements to provide a unified look. The signage, lighting, paving and street furniture would, together, add another common thread in the image statement.

ParkingParking will be addressed in

both the near-term and long-term plans. Near term, it will be neces-sary to develop centralized parking for relocated spaces. Some parking may be relocated to both Mid Cam-pus and Campus West.

For the long term, parking structures and Arena shuttles would be considered. n

1 Restaurant at sports complex 2 Pedestrian/bike greenway 3 Environmental remediation, interim recreation 4 Soccer practice field 5 University Center for the Arts 6 Retail mixed-use building 7 Brown Street pedestrian enhancement

8 Sustainable student housing 9 Science, technology, engineering and

mathematics (STEM) facility 10 Open-space enhancement 11 Multi-use tennis/basketball courts 12 Stuart Field renovation 13 Parking garage 14 First-year student housing 15 Campus Union 16 Library, academic building 17 Academic, mixed use, Alumni Center 18 Mixed use commercial, academic, housing 19 Tennis courts

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910

192

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As plans look further and further into the future, they become more and more specula-tive. People have been speculating for 40 years

about a parking garage on campus, a conversation that the addition of land has reshaped. It is a relatively safe assumption that students a decade from now will need a place to park, however, because they will still be coming to a physical place called the University of Dayton to live and to learn.

A recent college guide quotes a UD student as saying that UD is “all about community: community when we study, community when we party, community when we are doing service, commu-nity when we pray.” Maybe not exactly the phrasing that Wil-liam Joseph Chaminade would have chosen, but those words are testament that the sense of community he nurtured is something that will not only endure but prevail.

As the campus evolves during the next decade, it will take shape guided by the master plan and by what is being learned now from how students and faculty and oth-ers are making use of spaces created to help bring people together to learn: the Learning Teaching Cen-ter, Marianist Hall, ArtStreet, the Science Center, the Crotty Center

in Miriam Hall and the Innovation Center in Kettering Laboratories.

Research indicates that students wish to study together, to discuss readings outside of class, to talk to people who are different from themselves. A growing awareness of what sort of spaces best encourage this kind of engagement will help direct decisions regarding long-term building.

The long term is expected, not surprisingly, to see additional student housing, including a new residence hall on the site of the current O’Reilly Hall. It would form a courtyard with Founders Hall. The garden apartments on the south side of Stewart Street by Keller Hall may disappear, to be re-

placed by halls farther west on Stewart, near the University Center for the Arts.

In general, the long-term portion of the plan is intend-ed, said Jeff Fu-novits, Burt Hill project man-ager, to present “opportunities to complement the University.”

About these opportunities, he noted, there

has been a lot of discussion.The near-term portion of the

master land-use plan will see some changes to Roesch Library. What will the long term see? Libraries are places of learning, not re-positories of paper — though the paperless society appears to be more mythical than real. But how will libraries bring people together

to learn, what tools will be there? Will there be coffee? Will there be food?

The library of the future will be designed in the context of the institution’s mission and priorities, said Ken Worstell of Burt Hill. “Libraries need to be customized for the specific needs of the university and offer the right combination of research and technical information.” In-novations in distance learning, electronic publications, remote storage and retrieval change the space needs for libraries, he said. “Libraries are also evolving into active learning centers and places for social interaction, as well as media centers. The Learning Teaching Center and the Blend, currently on the ground floor of Roesch Library, are good ex-amples of the diverse, multi-use programming of university librar-ies,” he said.

What about the union build-ing of the future? With Kennedy Union used for so many activi-ties, will the union of the future be a place primarily for students and their organizations? Or will faculty and staff be involved there, too? What about the broader com-munity?

At the moment, the plan proj-ects the possibility of a new union building on the site of C Lot and a new library where Kennedy Union is now located.

Or, since both buildings are key places to bring people togeth-er, could the library and the union of the future turn out to be the same building?

Come back in a decade and find out.

Or stay and help with the learning and the planning that will help the learning. n

Long term – looking for more opportunities

As the campus evolves over the next decade, it will take shape guided

by the master plan and by what is being

learned now from how students and faculty

and others are making use of spaces created to help bring people together to learn.

in the surrounding area, includ-ing the Brown-Warren Business Corridor. In the last two years, UD teamed with developers on two

new ventures: University Place, a two-story mixed-use development on the corner of Brown and Stew-art streets that includes graduate

student apartments, a restaurant and retail outlets, and Courtyard Dayton — University of Dayton, a hotel near UD Arena. n

businesses. It is the most devel-opable piece of property in the city of Dayton.”

Part of the property will be mixed-use development. As part of the sales agreement, NCR retains $7 million of participa-tion rights in any commercial development.

“As we looked at Campus West, there’s the potential for opportunities beyond academics. It could be commercial devel-opment, housing, mixed-use, research — even a conference center,” said Jeff Funovits, proj-ect manager for Burt Hill.

No decisions have been made yet about what Funovits called “the highest and best use” of the riverfront land. As a major player in economic development initiatives in the region, UD does not want to compete with other projects on the Dayton region’s drawing boards, Curran said. In addition, the city of Dayton will replace the historic Stewart Street bridge in an 18-month project that begins this summer. As part of the project, UD officials would like to improve the entry into campus.

“We are committed to work-ing with economic development officials in the region to make this land vibrant and produc-tive again,” Curran said. “We will consult with campus and community leaders and entertain proposals from private develop-ers for projects that complement new restaurants and retail outlets on Brown Street as well as pro-posed Sugar Camp and Ball Park Village developments.”

UD has a growing track record of collaboration with private developers, corporate partners and public agencies. As part of the Genesis Project, the city of Dayton, University of Dayton, Miami Valley Hospital, CityWide Development Corp., County Corp. and National City Bank invested $15 million to rebuild the Fairgrounds Neighborhood. Dozens of substandard houses were torn down, 23 new ones were built, and another 11 were rehabilitated. This development encouraged other investment


A campus commit-tee, proceeding carefully and prayerfully, has begun planning for the renova-tion of Immacu-late Conception Chapel, so that the University of

Dayton community can more fully celebrate the liturgy for generations to come.

Father Chris Wittmann, S.M., di-rector of campus ministry, and Claire Renzetti, professor of sociology, chair the committee that began at a July retreat to consider the chapel’s role in the faith life of the University. As a new campus master plan takes shape, the committee is assessing present and future worship spaces.

The liturgy is the heart of the renovation.

“The chapel, which seats 315 people on the main level, has become inadequate for the needs of the UD community,” Wittmann said. In addition to more seating, the community needs “sufficient space and quality design to allow the complete celebration of the full range of liturgical actions called for by the church, and aesthetics that enhance prayer through beauty, dignity and simplicity,” he said.

Built in 1869, the chapel is widely embraced as the heart of the UD community. For many, the chapel’s dome and simple exterior symbolize the faith commitment and humble, welcoming spirit of the University. Over the decades in the chapel, Marianist brothers have pro-fessed and renewed their religious vows, students and graduates have become engaged and been married, and funerals have been held.

“Given its history, legacy and location, it’s desirable to discover ways to renovate and expand the chapel so that it can remain, for the foreseeable future, the primary daily and Sunday worship space, as well as a place for personal devotional prayer outside of liturgies,” Witt-mann said.

The renovation goes hand in hand with the renewal of liturgy and Christian faith. “The process will help educate the community about the liturgy and the space needed for a full celebration of the

Chapel renovation planning begins


During the rituals of Holy Week and the Triduum — the great three-day liturgy encompassing Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil — the limitations of Im-maculate Conception Chapel become particularly appar-ent. There is insufficient space for the washing of the feet

and the veneration of the cross. The chapel also lacks a permanent and prominent baptistery. The Church’s Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults notes that “the baptistery or the area where the baptismal font is located should be reserved for the sacrament of baptism and should be worthy to serve as the place where Christians are reborn in water and the Holy Spirit.” Currently in Immaculate Conception Chapel,

of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship.” See http://www .usccb.org/liturgy/livingstones .shtml#preface.

Chapel’s limitations hamper a full celebration of the liturgy

An undated photograph of the chapel from the University’s archives

adult catechumens are baptized in a plastic fishpond, purchased from Lowe’s and disguised by potted plants and flowers.

In addition, as the committee’s guiding concepts point out, “Full celebration of the Eucharist calls for a design which provides adequate space for the distinct and complementary roles of the various minis-ters; the essential role of the congregation gathered before the Word and around the altar; the vital role of music ministry as an integral part of the congregation; and the various processions and movements of the liturgy.

Consideration must also be given to the particular space needs of weddings, funerals, the profession of Marianist religious vows and Marianist jubilee celebrations.” n

The renovation will honor the chapel’s architectural heritage and

liturgical history.

A construction schedule has not been set. However, the sacristan will not make commitments to re-serve the chapel for weddings and

other events after Jan. 1, 2009.More information on the

renovation is posted at http:// ministry.udayton.edu/chapel. n

liturgy,” Renzetti said. A gathering space, a baptistery, a reservation chapel for the Eucharist, a recon-ciliation room and multipurpose rooms are among the other needs being explored.

The renovation will honor the chapel’s architectural heritage and liturgical history. The commit-tee’s guiding concepts note, “The honesty of materials, nobility of design and solid work-manship of the chapel speak to the pioneering spirit of faith of the first Marianist brothers in the United States of America. As much as possible, these qualities should be preserved. The elegant simplicity of the architecture, both interior and exterior, should be a guide in the design of any renovation and expansion.”

Toward those goals, the com-mittee will hire and work with liturgical and architectural con-sultants to develop the renova-tion plan and design. Requests for proposals will be sent this semester. The renovation plan will follow the guidelines of church law as found in official liturgical documents, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ guidelines “Built

http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/livingstones.shtml#preface




The chapel renova-tion committee has recommended four guiding concepts for the renovation of the Immaculate Concep-

tion Chapel:n The process of renovating

the chapel should be a faith-formational experience.

The process will help educate the community about the litur-gy and the liturgical space needs for full, active and conscious celebration of the liturgy.

n The liturgy itself is the heart of the renovation.

The needs of a rich celebra-tion of the entire liturgical year will be the top priority of the renovation and will guide deci-sions.

n The renova-tion will respect the architectural heritage and liturgi-cal history of the chapel as it seeks to enhance the space for future genera-tions.

The chapel is a testimony in brick, stone and wood to the priorities of Marianist founder Blessed William Joseph Chami-nade: the primacy of faith; the development of the “essential interior” life; and dedication to Mary. … Worshippers develop profound personal attachments

‘Guiding concepts’ focus on faith, liturgy,

Chapel renovation committeeCo-chairs: Claire Renzetti and Father

Chris Wittmann, S.M.Committee members and the areas they

represent are:Father Jerry Chinchar, S.M., campus

ministry/MarianistsJohn Haley, board of trusteesDave Harper, advancement

Historically, the chapel has always been a work in progress

1868 Brother Maximin Zehler, S.M., submits plans for the proposed church to the Marianist General Administration in Paris, which finds the plans too pretentious and orders a substantial reduction of the intended edifice. Construction begins, and the structure is under roof by winter.

1869 The chapel is consecrated and dedicated by Cincinnati Archbishop John Purcell. The building, completed at a cost of $40,000, is 120 feet long and 50 feet wide with 42-foot high walls. Features include a belfry, containing four bronze bells, capped by a cupola with an 8-foot cross. Smaller crosses, gilded in gold, adorn the miniature towers at the four corners of the belfry. A main altar and two side altars are installed. The tabernacle features “a colossal door that sometimes threatened to defy the efforts of the priest to swing it open.” Other features were a hand-carved pulpit with figures of the four Evangelists and the Blessed Virgin Mary. “Today the pulpit is hardly more than a relic for seldom do preachers any longer wedge themselves past the narrow opening from the sacristy to the platform,” Brother Elmer Lackner, S.M., wrote in a history of the chapel prepared for its 75th anniversary.

Ten enormous stained glass windows (five on each side of the main body of the chapel) display a “rather disappointing lack of a full exercise of artistic ability,” the result, perhaps, of keeping expenses down and permitting sufficient light. The four side windows of the sanctu-ary contain representations of Sts. Peter, Paul, Augustine and Ambrose. The windows in the front and rear walls were richly tinted rosettes, “perhaps the prettiest specimens of architec-ture in the chapel.” Not much is known about the decoration of the walls and ceiling in 1869; the Catholic Telegraph refers to the chapel as “elegantly frescoed.”

1876 The reredos — the carved wooden superstructure with the large niche that contains a statue of the Immaculate Conception — is probably added “and served to fill in the awful vacancy that had previously existed,” Lackner wrote.

1883-1929 Photos from this era show paintings on the ceiling of the sanctuary of the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin and on the main body of the church of Christ blessing the little children.

1899 Electric lighting is introduced.

1901 A smaller bronze door replaces the cumbersome tabernacle door.

1919 Brother Edward Gorman, S.M., a maintenance man, draws plans and supervises construction of the confessionals, breaking through the walls beneath four large side windows and using bricks believed to have been remnants of Zehler Hall’s old chimney.

1924 A Wangerin organ, costing $15,000, is installed, replacing the 1869 tracker action organ that would shrink or swell according to the weather conditions.

1929 The chapel undergoes an extensive $20,000 redecoration and alteration, with new floors, pews, chandeliers, and heating and ventilating systems.

1950 Repainting and retouching

1970-71 A $95,000 renovation, considered controversial by some alumni and students, provides for the liturgical renewal recommended by Vatican II and corrects some structural defects. Ten abstract stained glass windows replace the leaking side windows. The murals, statues, side altars, main marble altar, Stations of the Cross and the pews are removed.

1983 To make space for standing-room-only crowds and increase seating from 260 to 360, the main altar moves to a side wall and sits on a 21-inch-high platform to improve visibility. The congregation sits in a semicircle facing the altar. An additional 50 chairs can be placed in the elevated area behind the former main altar.

1985 The chapel dome is repaired, repainted and relighted.

2000 The chairs and altar are reoriented to use the original architectural direction of the chapel, while highlighting both the ambo and altar as focal points. The new arrangement still poses challenges for Communion distribution. Air conditioning, better heating and ventilation, and a new sound system are installed.

Sources: “Historical Account of the University Chapel,” by Brother Elmer Lackner, S.M., 1944; Flyer News

Kathy Henry, studentsKatie Jennrich, studentsBeth Keyes, facilities managementSandra Yocum Mize, religious studiesBrother Tom Pieper, S.M., campus

ministry/MarianistsLoretta Schaefer Puncer, alumni Eric Stoiber, students

Once renovated, the Immaculate

Conception Chapel will evangelize for

generations to come.

to the places in which they celebrate the liturgy, ritual-ize vocational commitments, mark life-changing events, and are formed more fully into the Body of Christ. As much as possible, the process and outcome of the renovation will honor these truths.

n Once renovated, the Immaculate Conception Chapel will evangelize for gen-erations to come.

The chapel might be thought of as a sort of labora-tory for faith development. The liturgy celebrated there not only educates us, but it transforms us into the Body of Christ. In and through the liturgy, our faith comes alive and sends us out in mission as

servants of God, one another and the poor. As the Univer-sity would seek state-of-the-art technology in a science laboratory,

so the best quality possible ought to be demanded for the chapel as a learning laboratory of the highest kind.

A fuller treatment of the guiding concepts will be posted at http://ministry.udayton.edu/chapel. n

past and future


udcampusmasterplan.udayton.edu

Documents

University of Dayton Master Plan 2008