While talking to my daughter, a student at UHV, Jaguar Court is either on hold, or will not happen... Drug dogs found evidence of cocaine in the old motel...

Good discussion here, but I think most of it misses the point, which is this: UH System's paradigm simply does envision Victoria as the site of a significant "destination university." I don't know that TAMU was ever interested in Victoria so much as they were hoping to capture the (Houston) flag.

So now we wait and watch as UHS makes marginal improvements here while continuing to refine the metamorphosis of the main campus.

The land locked parcel was offered to get free access to city services onto the property and increase all of the land's value. At taxpayer expense.

I recommend UHS take up the donation of the property, hold it a few years, collect the grazing rights, then offer it up for sale and apply the proceeds into further developing the existing campus.

HN1, I will agree with you. Perhaps UHS will accept the land offered by the generous patron. However, that donation should be frontage property along Loop 463. With UHV growing, in 20-30 years they will ultimately need to expand past the original 20 acres, just as TAMU did. But for now, the 20 acres ajoining Victoria College works well. Heck, one day UHV may be able to sell that 100 acres for a bundle and move to lesser prime location...like Inez! I am confident the Mayor and City Council of Inez will be much easier to work with than Victoria's. UH-I. University of Houston-Inez. Has a nice ring to it.

Well Dale, someone is going to have to be the one to say it eventually. Do you want to be the one that has to answer the question of why? As in, "why did you wait so long? why did you wait until the costs were higher, the need so great that the timeline was shrunk and overall costs increased?"

I don't think that UH-V is in a serious need of space at this time, but I do think that it's better to plan ahead than try to make up on the back end. Why not get a jump on something that is going to be needed, and save some money at the same time? It's not like construction costs are going down.

UHS actually owns the land the main buildings occupies. I went to victoriacad.org and pulled up 17 acres with UHS as the owner of the land at 2200 E Red River. (UHS purchased the property from VC in 1997.) UHS owns another 2.7 acres on Ben Wilson (where the original classrooms and petroleum classes were held). The dorm is situated on 6 acres. I would say UHS has a sizeable investment in Victoria.

Of course, 25 acres is not as large as a 100 acre vacant lot. But the buildings are by and large almost paid for. The vacant lot our leaders want UHS to build on would require that the future students pay for the move with Tuition Revenue Bond increases. I sure do not want to be the one to say, "excuse me future UHV prospect, but tuition and fees are now the same as Texas A&M...$161/hour. We increased your tuition from $78/hour so that we could grow Victoria economically. Enjoy the 20 year student loan."

Someone suggested that practice fields be built on the area behind the dorm, next to the railroad track. FYI Texas A&M's intramural fields sit next to a railroad track too. UHV does have something in common with TAMU!

That would take away from the future use of the land for classrooms. Besides, as was already pointed out numerous times, VC actually owns the land that UH-V occupies. It would not be cost effective to build dorms on land not owned by the university, assuming that VC would even allow it.

I agree that extending Mockingbird is another option. I suppose we could ask Mrs. Buhler if the family would be willing to swap the gift land for something a little further west towards Mockingbird. Maybe some people at the city think that an overpass at Airline is needed, but isn't high on the state's priority list, but by extending Airline it would bump it up and possibly have it completed in the next few years. I don't know, it's just a thought. Couple that with the increase in traffic from the Cat plant and we're talking some leverage.

Why not build dorms on the property next to the UHV buildings on the actual university property. Share the dorms with VC.

Practice fields behind the dorms? Seriously? Or was that a joke? Please tell me you are kidding l357.

Who knows about Airline, it would be smarter to be over around Salem or Mockingbird. Closer to civilization and more where the commercial growth is at...from a marketing and recruiting standpoint, it would be better. Probably those people are banking on increased land prices there and more money...the Airline road would not be worth near as much.

Can I ask a Question?

Construction has already started on the overpasses on Salem and Mockingbird, can the donation of land not be made off of a extended Mockingbird, or right on Loop 463 or even right on Hwy. 59?

Why Airline?

Suppose UHV accepts the land, Airline is extended to a taxpayer cost of $8M, a year later we will hear... WE NEED A OVERPASS AT AIRLINE ROAD NOW!

Why not at the least use a overpass, Mockingbird, that is already built?

The people offering the land donation do own that land too, along with a lot of Loop 463 and Hwy. 59 frontage.

Again I ask why Airline?

ummm legion if you read the article, it will tell you housing including apartments where you said new dorm. They already have "the cage" for soccer though more practice fields would be good. I cant see practice softball fields....from a recruiting standpoint, they have a good deal with STJ. I know they really need a baseball practice field. They are getting hurt by that from a recruiting standpoint and really often have to scramble for practice areas due to demand over the fields in the spring.

Well maybe with these "talks" with reps and officials they could change their minds and take the land. I am sure it is open and available. Who cares who it benefits. In the end it benefits UHV....though I know strategically building out there is not ideal.Anywhere they choose to build will benefit someone...why not take free land...defers some of the cost.

Who was the UHV president that pushed so hard and the students ended up getting housed as far away as La Quinta ect.?

I can't find the link, I think it was on one of the TAMUV blog postings. Anyway, UHV has plans to build a new dorm next to Jaguar Hall, where the part of the old Holiday Inn was that was torn down. The plans also includes practice soccer and softball fields towards the railroad tracks.

I see the renting of the Regency Motel as a stop gap measure until construction is complete, that way they won't have to scatter students all over town, and run a bus service to transport them to classes, like last year.

Dale, I agree with you. Although I did use the words road to nowhere, they didn't originate with me. I think the growth of Victoria is going to to continue to be in the North & East, not just because some study says so either. I think UH not taking the land was a huge mistake.

Sgt Jiggler, did you ask why there was such a differenence in price? Maybe they get the meal plan at the dorms?

My friends called to rent one of the apartments UHV is working with and was told their rent was going to be much higher than if they were non UHV students.

They tried to explain this was because they were renting for 9 months instead of 12. When we did the math we weren't just paying for 12 months over a 9 month span they jacked the total rent up another $2,000 over the 12 month total.

Basically they are screwing over UHV students.

Welcome to Victoria!

I stated on another post that growing Victoria toward the airport is very logical. Holein1 would you agree good public policy would be the issuance of a general obligation bond (following a successful bond vote) for what you called "a road to nowhere"? There will be a single member district election in May 2012. Perhaps a bond issue would make a good addition to the election? The public payment of your "Road To Nowhere" issue could make for some spirited debate. Heck, that paying of tax money for infrastructue for a private land development could really increase voter participation. Great idea, Holein1!

If you remember there was a generous offer of land extended to the UH System but was declined. Many thought it was just a way for the donors to line their pockets, the city and county to line the pockets of their cronies and an excuse for the city to build a road to nowhere.

Eventually UHV will move from their current site, hopefully to the previously offered free site or some other free site, and at that time the building will start. The UH System has made it pretty clear that they are not interested in moving the campus anytime soon, so it looks like more of the same. I agree that it would probably be cheaper to build rather than purchase and renovate.

Actually I know it went through some type of renovations a few years ago if that long. I will echo rg.....this seems to be the expensive way of doing things. Why not go ahead and buy a large parcel of land they know they will eventually need (buildings, dorms, apartments, facilities for athletics and phy ed, etc) and start building over there.

Fleabag motel is right! That has to be one of the nastiest motels in this town. Wayne Beran said they would refurbish if need? OMG, "refurbish", more like completely gut from top to bottom! Doesn't that motel share a piece of property with McDonalds? How in the world will they close their doors and fence that place off. I think they are required to fence their property?

well it seems as though we're slowly becoming that college town tht everyone and their mother agrees we shouldve already been like 4 years ago...what confounds me is that if UHV actually did a little R&D they could get a decent piece of land that would be able to house both the campus and a dormitory and that way students wouldnt have to cross the street and go through the hospital just to get to class...

Rejoice, therefore! Recruitment has been wildly successful. Fleabag motels are being converted to habitable domiciles filled with future (ahem! non-Aggie) leaders. What's to complain about? Now let's get some bookstores in this town!