Plans continue regarding Belk Tower removal and plaza redesign

November 5, 2015
Categories: General News Tags: Chancellor, University Operations

A pedestrian safety zone surrounds the Belk Tower, and the zone will remain until the tower is dismantled during winter break. Campus leaders now are focused on planning to revitalize what will be known as Belk Plaza.

LandDesign, a Charlotte-based urban design and landscape architecture firm, has been hired to provide recommendations for an improved aesthetic design of the quadrangle that is located in the historic core of the main campus.

​Chancellor Philip L. Dubois intends to appoint a task force of faculty, staff, students and alumni later this semester to begin work with LandDesign’s architects. In early 2016, the University will begin an open process to solicit public input from students, faculty, staff and alumni regarding the design of the Belk Plaza. Three public forums will seek ideas about the features of a redesigned plaza that would be most preferred, including whether and how to memorialize the tower as part of the plaza redesign or at another location, such as on the grounds of the Harris Alumni Center at Johnson Glen. A final design concept for the plaza is expected by May 2016.

In October, when the decision was announced to remove the Belk Tower due to significant structural issues, a survey was conducted to determine whether individuals would be interested in purchasing small pieces of the tower as a memento. Nearly 3,500 respondents indicated a willingness to pay between $10 and $​49​ for a piece of the structure. The chancellor is working with staff in the Alumni Affairs Office to determine whether it will be possible to create a suitable memento within this price range.

Dubois stated the University plans to renovate all the campus quads eventually, but the effort will take time given financial constraints.

“There is no question, however, that the Belk Plaza is the one area on campus that is underutilized and most in need of attention. We can redesign this part of campus to make it far more functional and memorable for all the right reasons,” he said.