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THE ARCHITECTURE ISSUE
The Chronicle Review's yearly look at architecture examines buildings on and off campuses. Above, Caltech's new Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, designed by Morphosis. (Chronicle photograph by Lawrence Biemiller)
Other News
U. of Tennessee Landmark to Move to Nearby Location
New campus buildings
Multimedia
Pomona's Skyspace
The artist James Turrell turned a Pomona College courtyard into a work of art worth waking up at dawn for.
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About Buildings & Grounds
Buildings & Grounds is written by Scott Carlson (left) and Lawrence Biemiller (right). Scott Carlson writes about architecture, facilties, energy, and sustainability, among other topics. Lawrence Biemiller writes about architecture and facilities and contributes to Notes from Academe. What's happening on your campus? Let us know.
Pricey U. of Oregon Arena Project Is Tangled Up in Red Tape
The most expensive project in the history of Oregon’s state universities, and the most expensive on-campus arena in the country, is on hold because of a land-use ruling and a permitting process, according to a story in The Oregonian.
The $245-million basketball-arena project at the University of Oregon, which will encompass seven acres, requires a conditional-use permit, which will require a public hearing and several months in processing time.
“No matter what the university decides to do, the potential for appeals throughout the process could delay the arena’s construction for nine months to a year, said Steve Pfeiffer, a land-use lawyer at the Portland firm Perkins Coie,” The Oregonian reports. “The uncertainty also could scare off bond issuers, he said. … [B]onds were to be backstopped, in part, by a $100-million athletic department reserve fund pledged to the university by Nike co-founder Phil Knight. His pledge required the university to secure public financing for the arena project by June 1.”
The permit ruling came about because of an appeal filed by the Fairmount Neighborhood Association.
The university had hoped to break ground this summer and finish the arena by 2010. The Oregonian could not reach university officials for comment. The university can appeal the ruling.
Scott Carlson | Thursday June 5, 2008 | Permalink | Contact usComments
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Am I reading this right? Isn’t Oregon the state that is cutting language study because of a tight budget? I say, boycott football until the language programs are reinstated.
— Mary Jun 5, 03:08 PM #
Yep. Right state, wrong institution. UO seems to be able to get away with anything while its sister institution, OSU, is starved for scraps. It is OSU that is cutting language programs. This particular project is a slap in the face of every hardworking student and faculty member in the Oregon system who can’t get the classes they need to graduate or must teach unconscionably large classes while the state legislature plays fast and loose with the pot of money that had been targeted for faculty raises the public universities recently gave their people. Oregon is so out of whack regarding the funding of education from pre-school to post-grad that the institutions in the system live a hand to mouth existence that would tax the patience of Job.
It seems that the good people of Eugene are tired of being railroaded by Phil Knight and the boys of UO. They don’t necessarily want a new stadium in their neighborhood. I hope they attend every public hearing available to them and make their discontent known.
— barbara Jun 5, 03:53 PM #
This project is going to be held up every step of the way for years. That is a promise.Excellent analysis of this spiraling train wreck deal too, I must say. Nice work. Way over 150 million backlog in existing deferred maintenance have accumulated on campus at UO too now. Eminent domain abuse is being sustained by our anarchist O.U.S. Chancellor Persteiner . Deficient buildings are not being earthquake updated.Secrecy powers of the UO Foundation are cloaking the contracting and attached strings etc. Please read the very interelated and excellent book called “Who’s afraid of Niketown?” to be able to recognize the wider city “upgrade” scheme/conspiracy underway in Eugene now.
— Zachary Vishanoff Jun 8, 09:25 PM #