As Washington University undertakes more construction projects on the Hilltop Campus and acquires property in the surrounding areas, administrators have focused their efforts on creating formal ways to facilitate communication between themselves and local residents.
To respond to the needs and questions of its neighbors, WU created the Neighbors Council, comprised of six representatives from each of the surrounding cities. This group meets periodically throughout the year with Chancellor Mark Wrighton and Director of Community Relations Leah Merrifield to address issues of concern in the community and provide the chancellor with advice on how to approach problems between WU and its neighbors.
The administration created the council in 1999 along with the position of Director of Community Relations.
Twice a year, WU mails “WU Neighbor News” to update the university’s neighbors on events and campus news. Around 3,000 households receive this publication, which gives information on construction projects, important dates such as new student move-in, and how to contact Merrifield and her office.
Each fall, Chancellor Wrighton also meets with people from the surrounding neighborhoods during a special gathering. This year’s meeting will occur on October 8, with messages from other administrators including Director of Operations Steve Hoffner and Dean of Arts and Sciences James McLeod. This meeting gives neighbors an opportunity to directly address the administration and find out what WU plans to do in the neighborhood in the coming months.
According to Merrifield, some of the biggest concerns she has heard from WU’s neighbors include noise, increased construction and students, faculty and staff parking in residential neighborhoods instead of on campus.
Other concerns differ by city. Those in Clayton live closest to the South Forty and hear the most noise from parties and experience the added traffic of move-in day. Some University City residents are more concerned with loud students walking through their neighborhood, especially on weekends.
The university’s neighbors are residents of Clayton, University City and the city of St. Louis.
WU’s nearby off-campus holdings include apartment buildings and the Lewis Center, in University City; West Campus, in Clayton; the Medical Complex, east of Forest Park in St. Louis; a number of buildings in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood, also in St. Louis; and the Tyson Research Center, in West County.
WU is also looking to acquire the Christian Brothers College High School property located across from Schnucks and the Esquire Theater at 6501 Clayton Road. If WU purchases this area, it will not be available for use by the university until CBC moves to its new campus during the 2003-2004 school year.
Contact Erin Harkless at
[email protected]