The University announced today that it is considering a parcel of land at 1700 Millrace Drive, on the south side of the railroad tracks, as an alternative location for the proposed Oregon Research Institute building. University President Richard Lariviere announced in a press release that Trammell Crow Co. would be evaluating the new site as planning continues for the current location at 855 Riverfront Parkway, which is north of the railroad.@@http://comm.uoregon.edu/archive/news-release/2011/5/uo-president-recommends-examination-1700-millrace-drive-site-new-riverfr@@ @@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=staff&d=person&b=name&s=Richard+Lariviere@@
“It’s an alternative to the current venue, and we’ll see if it meets everyone’s needs,” Lariviere said.
The new site came under consideration after a recent decision was made to halt construction while a new master plan for the Riverfront Research Park is developed. The Millrace Drive location had previously been selected for a multitenant office building, but these plans have been postponed while the new master plan is created.
“The decision to postpone development of another new building within the research park allows us to re-examine the best location,” Lariviere said in the press release.
Discussing the new master plan, Lariviere said he wanted it to be done quickly, though he said he did not know exactly how long it would take. He was unable to comment on specifics of the site review.
“I don’t know how much it will cost. I don’t know how long it will take,” Lariviere said.
Trammell Crow Co. has worked on the previously planned ORI site. According to the University’s press release, the planned building would be 80,000 square feet and designed for LEED Gold certification.