New College trustees hear campus master plan update outlining new housing, fields, utilities and parking

New College of Florida trustees heard a public presentation on an updated campus master plan that lays out new housing, academic and athletic facilities, major infrastructure upgrades and proposed changes to campus circulation and parking.

The plan presented architects’ maps of the West, East, South and North campus areas showing existing buildings to remain, new buildings in maroon and dashed outlines for buildings proposed for removal. The presentation described a central campus promenade framed by student housing and a series of courtyards intended to give each residence an individual identity, as well as chiller and boiler plant upgrades, a new maintenance and facilities building, and repurposing of some existing dorms that the presenters said would “not be dorms” in future use.

On the East side the plan calls for new lacrosse and soccer fields with spectator stands and an athletic complex that may include supporting retail, plus tennis, softball and pickleball courts. The South campus will add a boathouse to serve sailing and rowing programs. The North campus — land the presenters said New College recently acquired from Manatee County — is shown to host an “educational contemplative center” and the proposed Freedom Center (described in the plan as a major future building).

The update also emphasized core infrastructure work: a campus-wide stormwater strategy that the presenters described as keeping retention areas close to new construction and introducing a new “river”-like stormwater corridor on the north side of the quad. Separate slides outlined planned sanitary sewer and potable water upgrades “vital to support future growth,” and transportation improvements including reconfigured campus roadways, new parking lots and potential parking structures. The presenters said parking graphics used colors to indicate existing parking, proposed future parking structures and new roadway connections; they said upgrades would be coordinated with regional transit providers including Breeze and MCAT.

Trustees asked for more detail on timeline, prioritization and facility replacement. Trustee Maldonado pressed for additional outreach to students and faculty during the academic year; she asked whether the college would hold sessions similar to a January 2024 meeting that had roundtable discussions. President Coburn said the planning effort “started even before we got here,” that a website has been open for input and that the college will continue to gather comments and hold meetings, and that staff had met repeatedly with many neighbors.

Trustee Mark Harvey asked about replacing specific facilities being removed, noting the Hamilton building includes an amphitheater classroom used for larger classes. He also asked about parking capacity if enrollment increases. A college representative said existing parking icons on the map represent ground lots but that some lots could become garages over time; the representative noted the capital cost of such projects and said “all of these things cost, you know, $15,000,000” in the context of long‑range estimates.

The board did not take action at the hearing; trustees characterized the session as informational and said they would accept written comments posted to the college website during the review period.

Proposals described in the presentation that will affect campus operations include new athletic fields and stands, a new boathouse, utility upgrades, a reconfigured main drive on Bayshore Road with a traffic‑calming zone and proposed future parking structures; none of those items had formal approvals or final funding sources identified at the hearing.