UC Riverside is beginning to explore possible future uses of Bannockburn Village as it gets ready to close the aging student housing complex at the end of this month.
Housing Services convened focus groups last month to hear campus partners’ suggestions on the future development of the site. As a follow-up to seek broader input, it has created an online survey for campus community members to share their thoughts.
The department announced in February it would be closing the housing complex and demolish it this summer due to its age and mounting renovation and maintenance costs.
Built in 1968, the complex consists of mostly residential apartments with some commercial and office space on 6.5 acres.
Residents and tenants will be out of the complex by early July, when their leases are up. Residents were offered priority application consideration for other campus housing. Sub Station, one of the two commercial tenants, will mark the end of its 54 years with a farewell celebration June 19 and 20.
The university’s 2021 Long Range Development Plan calls for the site to be redeveloped at higher residential and overall density with the goal of supporting campus growth.
An introduction to the survey notes that as part of Housing Services’ long-term planning, the site could be developed into a larger student housing complex that may include amenities such as food, retail, or other spaces serving the campus.
The survey includes about 24 questions, asking participants a variety of questions about what kind of development should be prioritized, what type of population it should serve, and what services should be offered.
The deadline for completing the survey is June 30. All who participate can enter a drawing for a gift card.
At the focus groups, some ideas forwarded included graduate student housing, a community gathering space like a pub, meeting space, and commercial uses, said Heidi Scribner, associate vice chancellor of Auxiliary Services.
With planning, design, environmental review, and construction, any new project could take about four years to complete, she said.
Fencing will start going up around Bannockburn in July with demolition to follow this summer and will take several months.
