“Longwood is thriving, and a day like this underscores that,” said Longwood University President W. Taylor Reveley IV at the Sept. 12th Lancer Park North Campus Ribbon-Cutting. The Longwood University Real Estate Foundation and the Office of the President hosted the ceremonial opening of North Campus at 11 a.m. outside the Lancer Park North Campus Commons Building.
The Lancer Park addition includes the Commons Building with the full-service Provisions on Demand (P.O.D.) convenience store, gym, game room, meeting spaces and seating areas; the North and South apartment buildings; a volleyball and basketball court; and new parking spaces.
According to Ken Copeland, vice president for Administration and Finance, the overall cost of the project, including construction, landscaping, parking and bond issue fees was $39 million. The project broke ground in 2012.
In his opening remarks at the ribbon-cutting, Copeland thanked Longwood’s Facilities Management/Real Property Management and Capital Planning and Construction (Dick Bratcher, Alan Cook and Buddy and Otis Brown, chairman of the Board of Directors), Residential and Commuter Life (RCL), English Construction, Mitchell- Matthews Architects, the Town of Farmville, Kaufman & Canoles, Bank of America, the design proposal team and several other companies and individuals who contributed to the completion of the project.
Copeland added that when blueprints of the North Campus project were brought to the university’s Board of Visitors (BOV) in May 2011, then-BOV Rector John Adams said to “make it look like Longwood.”
“We were proactive in getting this project started, and we certainly – in my mind – made it look like Longwood,” said Copeland.
Later, Copeland added, “I think it’s one more opportunity to market ourselves to students, both to existing students and to market ourselves to the student that is looking into his [or her] interest in coming here.”
Jennifer Cox, RCL’s associate director of Off-Campus Living, said that North Campus consists of about 450 student spaces. This contributed to the new total of 713 beds in Lancer Park.
“We went through so many designs and a lot of discussion about what this will become, and I think this showcases a new hub for students out here as far as a new space for them being able to ... do those day-to-day activities they need to do,” Cox said.
Courtney DeLorme, apartment manager and point of contact for any concerns regarding Lancer Park North Campus, played a major role in the project along with Buddy Barron, Capital Planning maintenance supervisor.
“[Barron] and I were on site almost every day making sure that the small aspects were getting completed and attending construction project meetings,” Delorme said.
Delorme also focused on “getting all of the residents [into North Campus and] making sure all of their concerns or issues were worked out when they got in.”
Regarding the event, Diane Easter, director of Major Programs, said the Office of the President and the Real Estate Foundation worked together to organize the Convocation Day ribbon-cutting. “We’ve had [ribbon-cuttings on the same day as Convocation] for the past couple years because it’s a time when the [BOV] is here and they can participate and see all the new spaces while they’re here in town,” explained Easter.
Following the ribbon-cutting, attendees had the opportunity to take a look inside the Commons Building and have ARAMARK/ Longwood Dining Services- provided refreshments. Students also conducted tours of the North and South buildings for interested parties after the ribbon-cutting, showing tour groups the single, two and four- room spaces.
Lancer Park, located off of W. Third Street, is one of three Longwood-managed apartment communities. Longwood Landings and Longwood Village are located at Mid-Town Square and off of S. Main Street, respectively. These apartments are currently available to sophomores, juniors and seniors.
