The Erb Memorial Union wasn’t the first and won’t be the last building on the University of Oregon’s renovation waiting list. The College of Arts and Sciences took a step forward last September when two UO alumni donated $10 million toward a renovation.
During a board of trustees meeting in early March, the College of Arts and Sciences Dean Andrew Marcus mentioned a problem of not having space for science buildings and a home for CAS.
The building is planned to be home to the CAS, which includes 49 undergraduate programs — 60 percent of all UO degrees.
It will also be the new home of the UO Career Center.
The new building will house central advising and administration functions for the dean’s office and college programs, which together serve more than 1,300 students yearly.
Interim President Scott Coltrane said the university will seek public financing at the state 2015 legislative session for up to half the cost.
But as one building is remodeled, another sits patiently.
Chapman Hall houses the Robert D. Clark Honors College, which enrolls about 2,000 students as of 2014. It was built in 1939 under the Works Progress Administration and has not had any major renovation since.
According to the UO’s Associate Vice President for Campus Planning and Real Estate Chris Ramey, in Around the O, 21 percent of Chapman Hall needs to be replaced or repaired to qualify seismic issues, energy efficiency, safety and ADA accessibility.
The building also lacks an interior staircase to connect its ground floor with its upper floors, which makes it hard to navigate around the building.
Junior Tallia Reimel had two classes in Chapman last winter term and said it was one of the most out-of-date buildings on campus.
“The interior of the building is falling apart,” Reimel said. “I’d go to the Knight Library to study instead of staying in Chapman.”
Early in 2014, President of the Clark Honors College Student Association Garrett West failed to persuade a legislative subcommittee in favor of funding for the $7.5 million Chapman Hall renovation.
“To state the problem clearly, it does not meet the standards of preparing students for 21st century jobs,” West said.
The university is trying to encourage donors of much-needed renovation through University Advancement.
“The project will upgrade our educational technology, add more lounge and informal learning areas, and improve our student facilities,” the website said.