The process of converting Vanderbilt’s coal-fired co-generation power plant to a natural gas facility is underway and will necessitate the closure of a portion of Vanderbilt Place from mid-December 2013 through late March 2014.
Vanderbilt Place between 24th Avenue South and West Side Row will be closed to vehicular traffic, and vehicular access to West Side Row from Vanderbilt Place will be suspended.
Please make note of the following:
- The east-west sidewalk that runs parallel to the Beta Theta Pi house will remain open to pedestrian traffic.
- The metered parking along Vanderbilt Place will not be accessible.
- The metered parking along 24th Avenue South will continue to be available in its current state of operation.
- For the duration of the Vanderbilt Place closure, West Side Row will be managed to accommodate two-way traffic. Personnel with flags and radios will be stationed at either end of West Side Row to help control the flow of traffic.
- Entering West Side Row from 24th Avenue South at Carmichael Towers should not be an issue, although one might anticipate the occasional delay to accommodate vendor traffic exiting the Sarratt Student Center loading dock.
- Exiting from F spaces and other parking should be undertaken with caution, since traffic could approach from either direction.
The university’s Board of Trust voted to approve the conversion project April 19 during its annual spring meeting.
“The decision to convert this facility to natural gas reflects the priority we place on conserving our environment and energy,” Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos said. “The overall welfare and future of our community are very important, and responsible stewardship of our environmental resources is a lodestar in ensuring those efforts.”
There are no plans for disruptions to the campus power supply during construction.