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From the 2/17/19 edition of the Spokesman-Review
The pace and pressure of growth has picked up in the past 20 years, said Chuck Murphy, longtime vice president for finance at Gonzaga and now the university’s chief strategist for campus planning and real estate. In 1999, total enrollment was about 4,000. Today, Gonzaga has 7,500 students. The university campus has grown in size from the original eight acres deeded to it by Father Van Gorp to 152 acres today.
“Some of that growth has spilled out into the neighborhood,” Murphy acknowledged. “There is a unique connection between Gonzaga and the surrounding community, and we try hard to be mindful of our effect on the area and respectful of our neighbors.”
Over the years, Murphy said, Gonzaga has gradually acquired neighboring property – primarily south of Sharp Avenue – to create a consolidated, cohesive central campus. The university owns property and has built student housing in the block immediately north of Sharp. But private investors capitalizing on the growing demand for student apartments within walking distance of the university might have had a larger effect.
“Some of that growth has spilled out into the neighborhood,” Murphy acknowledged. “There is a unique connection between Gonzaga and the surrounding community, and we try hard to be mindful of our effect on the area and respectful of our neighbors.”
Over the years, Murphy said, Gonzaga has gradually acquired neighboring property – primarily south of Sharp Avenue – to create a consolidated, cohesive central campus. The university owns property and has built student housing in the block immediately north of Sharp. But private investors capitalizing on the growing demand for student apartments within walking distance of the university might have had a larger effect.
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