New Engineering Building not going ahead :(

darragh o meara

Heard from one of the lecturer's this morning that the new Engineering building proposed for the Cork Road Campus is no longer going ahead. By all accounts the contracts were almost ready to be signed and building supposed to be starting in the new year.

This will be a big blow to the South East and WIT in particular. The Engineering courses in WIT are well regarded in industry and such a blow like this will set things back a bit.

Hopefully the management can pull something together and get this project going again. A lot of effort was put into this project by staff and they are shocked that the project was scrapped.

Sully

Its on hold, more than scrapped, I think. Its because the state cant fund it. Other colleges and projects were also stalled. It will come around again in a few years time, but everything is on hold until the finances improve a bit.

homolumo

In the meantime who pays the rent for architecture being in the Granary? What about the money for the site works? That site looks awful and car parking was lost as a result of it.

Ledger

I was in architectural technology for a short period about 2 years ago. Always thought the T Block was ok for the mean time. Why was Arch moved to the granary when the T Block is still sitting there empty?

Sully

Ledger wrote: »

I was in architectural technology for a short period about 2 years ago. Always thought the T Block was ok for the mean time. Why was Arch moved to the granary when the T Block is still sitting there empty?

I think the intention was to knock and build over it this year.

Ledger

Sully wrote: »

I think the intention was to knock and build over it this year.

That's been knocked on the head too then i suppose? (pun was intended:cool:)

Ian7

Hey lads, I was thinking of going back to do 4th yr arch tech in September. Crushed to learn that the T Block isn't being used anymore. Where is the Granary? Is it away from the main campus? I was fretting about going back to college because I thought I would be spending time in my old classrooms but without my college mates, now I'm fretting because I might not be in the same building at all.

Sully

Ian7 wrote: »

Hey lads, I was thinking of going back to do 4th yr arch tech in September. Crushed to learn that the T Block isn't being used anymore. Where is the Granary? Is it away from the main campus? I was fretting about going back to college because I thought I would be spending time in my old classrooms but without my college mates, now I'm fretting because I might not be in the same building at all.

Its at the very end of the quay, across from the Bus Depot. Opposite end of Waterford alright.

Ian7

Sully wrote: »

Its at the very end of the quay, across from the Bus Depot. Opposite end of Waterford alright.

ah jesus, what facilities does it have? If any at all? Is there a canteen or anything? Where do the students park now?

writetojd

Ian7 wrote: »

Hey lads, I was thinking of going back to do 4th yr arch tech in September.

Wouldn't be in a rush back to do AT4. Its not all that useful unless you want to do a masters and even at that your limited in your choices. Most of your old classmates are most likely in Oz, NZ or Canada.

They have been knocking the T-block for the last 13 years from what I hear. That place will outlast us all.

Ian7

writetojd wrote: »

Wouldn't be in a rush back to do AT4. Its not all that useful unless you want to do a masters and even at that your limited in your choices. Most of your old classmates are most likely in Oz, NZ or Canada.

They have been knocking the T-block for the last 13 years from what I hear. That place will outlast us all.

Well this ain't a willy nilly decision i've made. I'm lucky enough to be still working part time for an architect but I don't have any back up if he packs it up in the morning and I don't fancy starting from scratch to do a new four year course. I know exactly what I plan to do after AT4 and I wouldn't exactly say that my choices are limited. And yes, I'm quite aware that most of my classmates are abroad. Most of my closest college friends are in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, and the most recent departure was only last week to Canada. There is a hand full in England and two friends have returned home in the last few months. Having only graduated in 2005, this is a very sore point for all of us and for those who followed or preceded us in other years and it's a decision I haven't taken lightly.

Ian7

Also, happened to spot the front page of the Munster express yesterday in which they were discussing the possible purchase of Waterford Crystal by WIT but that the site may be contaminated etc. Didn't really get a good read of it though so my question is, if they can afford to purchase this site and clean it up, why was the Engineering building put on hold?

Sully

Ian7 wrote: »

Also, happened to spot the front page of the Munster express yesterday in which they were discussing the possible purchase of Waterford Crystal by WIT but that the site may be contaminated etc. Didn't really get a good read of it though so my question is, if they can afford to purchase this site and clean it up, why was the Engineering building put on hold?

Separate finances. I think if they do buy that site, there wont be any construction on it for sometime. Its just to have, which is smart, when money becomes a bit more available. WIT have to find this money by themselves - including selling some land out in the doomed Carriganore Campus. The Engineering building was being financed by the state.

Ian7

Sully wrote: »

Separate finances. I think if they do buy that site, there wont be any construction on it for sometime. Its just to have, which is smart, when money becomes a bit more available. WIT have to find this money by themselves - including selling some land out in the doomed Carriganore Campus. The Engineering building was being financed by the state.

Ah I see. Makes sense really. It also makes sense to acquire that site, being so close to the main campus and all.

dashboard_hula

Why's Carriganore doomed?

Sully

dashboard_hula wrote: »

Why's Carriganore doomed?

Just my personal opinion. I don't think it will ever become a campus like Cork Road or College St, which I was always of the understanding it was supposed to be. Its got a fantastic sports campus and then a few spin off companies and the likes of TSSG. But I think that's all it can be.

Its just of the bypass, no public transport, a good distance to walk, a good bit away from any student accommodation, and a fair bit out to drive every day. I'm not sure I see any of these issues being addressed for a very long time, if at all.

Taking a site like Waterford Crystal means the campus is closer to the city, closer to the other campuses, closer to accommodation etc.