Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Kentucky Names Upcoming Outdoor Development Project

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/22/22

The University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., recently announced that its upcoming Rose Street Development Park Project will be named the Alumni Commons.

The project comes with an estimated cost of $9 million and will feature amenities like outdoor classrooms, a water fountain fixture, lawn seating beneath a terrace, patio and garden areas, and other permanent installations, according to a news release.

“We are excited to announce the naming of this project that we believe will become a great focal point for faculty, staff and students on our campus, as well as for alumni who return to their alma mater for events and celebrations,” said Tom Harris, UK vice president for university relations and interim vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement. “Rose Street funnels pedestrian traffic to and from some of UK’s most iconic structures, and the transformation of this space will elevate and enhance our campus.”

The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees accepted at its June board meeting a $3-million pledge from the UK Alumni Association to set up a capital project fund called the “UKAA Rose Street Plaza Beautification Fund.” The goal of the project, according to the news release, was the demolition, redesign, construction, renovation and expansion of the campus’ Rose Street Plaza. The gift agreement gave naming rights to the Alumni Association, and after consultation with alumni, employees and students, the UKAA Board selected Alumni Commons as the name for the redeveloped space.

“The UK Alumni Association is proud to be a partner in this transformational project for UK,” said Jill Smith, executive director of the UK Alumni Association and associate vice president for alumni engagement. “Alumni Commons will be an exciting and welcoming space for all Wildcats, located right in the heart of our campus. The UK Alumni Association looks forward to collaborating with our campus community to engage students and alumni through this beautiful space.”

The Construction Journal website reports that new amenities and features will include hardscapes, benches, stone masonry planters, seating, a fountain, charging stations and walkway lighting, accent lighting, stone slab benches and stone terrace walls, metal arbor structures, cobblestone pavements, landscaping and sodding.

The project’s estimated completion date is July 2023.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • UNT Dallas Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for $100M STEM Building

    The University of North Texas at Dallas in Dallas, Texas, recently celebrated the opening of its new, $100-million STEM Building, according to local news. The ceremony on Dec. 2 preceded the first day of classes in the facility on Jan. 12, 2026.

  • Kimball International Releases Curated Design Support Program

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of a new end-to-end design support program, DesignSuite. According to a news release, its goal is to guide architecture & design professionals and dealer partners through the process from vision to specification.

  • 144-Year-Old High-School Campus Debuts New Academic Facility

    San Diego High School (SDHS) in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new student services and classroom building; the project is part of a larger SDHS Whole Site Modernization project that began in 2022.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.