On Friday, the Oregon Board of Higher Education authorized the University to receive an $80,000 gift for an addition to the Len Casanova Center and discussed University Riverfront development.
University President Richard Lariviere said that although serious plans for the addition began on April 22, it was important that the board approve the proposal Friday.
“If we do not accept this gift, what will be the negative impacts for academics?” Lariviere said. “This is an important gift for our future.”
The possible attachment to the Casanova Center will have an impact on athletics and parking in the area. Though Lariviere said there would be a net gain of 50 to 75 parking spots and a brand new soccer arena, there would be significant displacement of parking and dislocation of soccer for the construction period.
Bob Shiprack, executive secretary for the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council, revisited the issue of the John E. Jaqua Academic Center for Student Athletes’ construction. He made a request that sub-contractors who were fined for ethical issues be barred from bidding on the construction.
“All the people out of work deserve a fair shot at these jobs,” Shiprack said.
Shiprack also said $330,000 from Matthew Knight Arena costs ended up going to fund the Jaqua Center landscaping, and he requested that no public money went to fund this addition.
The Board said the responsibility to answer questions about project funding and sub-contractor hiring rests with Lariviere.
“I don’t know what the answers are, and I would be happy to get those answers regardless of what your decisions are,” Lariviere said.
When the request was bogged down with public concerns about the money, Oregon State University President Edward Ray attempted to simplify the issue. He said the Board’s only obligation was to authorize the land lease for the building, as it would not be publicly funded.
Current ASUO President Amelie Rousseau and former ASUO President Emma Kallaway made public comments at the meeting concerning possible development along the Willamette River. They were joined by two members of Connecting Eugene, attorney Jan Wilson and University biology graduate student Paul Cziko. Connecting Eugene, an organization opposed to riverfront development, states on its Web site, “We care about the Willamette River and we care about its intertwining history and future with the people of Eugene and Springfield.”
The debate is over a potential new building for the Oregon Research Institute, an organization that studies human behavior and would become a part of the Riverfront Research Park.
Although the Board did not make a decision either way at the meeting, Rousseau and Kallaway considered the meeting a success.
“We were trying to put pressure on President Lariviere,” Rousseau said. “The Higher Education Board sits over all Oregon presidents.”
George Pernsteiner, chancellor of the Oregon University System, opposed the idea that the development process was not public and transparent. He explained the legal history of the development for the past 25 years.
“I will say, categorically, there was an intense amount of public input,” Pernsteiner said.
Lariviere said that the University was committed to revisit the plan, but that he was not able to do much more to derail the development. He said he could simply object and refuse to enforce; however, this would subject the University to legal repercussions, which could lead to his own termination.
“What I can promise is, the next phase of looking at revision of land use will be transparent,” Lariviere said.
Rousseau and Kallaway said they would try to get on the agenda for the Board’s next meeting.
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