History
The
In 1987
Sixteen years later,
In June of 2000, the first attempt to address these new
demographics and subsequent programming challenges was investigated by Mahlum
Architects with an “Athletics and Student Activities Master Plan”. This plan called for a multi-year, multi-phase
renovation and expansion of the
In the fall of 2002, students and the administration began
to work together on the recommendation from 1987 due to the significant
increase in students and a new University direction. Vice President Jay Kenton identified a block
of land on
To begin the process of measuring student support, in the
winter of 2003 the University hired Yost Grube Hall (YGH) architects to complete
a conceptual study funded by student building fees. A committee of students and staff was formed
to engage in the process facilitated by YGH.
As part of the process a web-based survey found that 86% of over 800 respondents
indicated that a new student recreation center would add quality to campus
life.
With the pre-design work completed by YGH and an initial
budget model developed, students put a referendum to a vote of the student body
to determine if they would support a new fee dedicated to the construction of
the building and subsequent operations and programs. In April of 2004, the ASPSU elections reflected
the highest voter turnout on record and a fee of $41 per term/per student supporting
the construction and long term maintenance of a student recreation center received
a majority vote. This fee was to be in addition to the amount that the student
incidental fee process already supported student recreation.
With these results in hand the Student Building Fee Committee
also prioritized $7 million, if available, towards the Student Recreation
Center (second only to $1.5 million and $200,000 to complete renovations in the
Smith Memorial Student Union and Library respectively). $3 million dollars were eventually allocated
from the Student Building Fee.
In the
summer of 2004 Interim Vice President for Finance and Administration Cathy Dyck
proposed that the
With the change in location and with new partnerships in the
building, an RFP for the PCAT Development was initiated and opsis Architecture
was selected to complete a pre-design for this new location and project. As part of the process, campus-wide focus
groups were facilitated by Washington, DC-based Brailsford and Dunlavey. A Recreation Center Committee of four students
and three administrators was formed.
Over the next six months the work of opsis was completed and
a pre-design for the new
In July of 2005, the Oregon Legislature approved $42 million
in bonds towards the PCAT redevelopment as part of the state-wide capital
construction budget. The $42 million included $32M for recreation and $l0M for
housing. Since that approval, the housing element of the project was eliminated
and academic space for the School
of Social Work was incorporated. The SSW is separately funded through State
XI-G bonds. The
In January
of 2006, new Vice President Lindsay Desrochers initiated a formal Building
Committee to manage the entire project including the
The
University received final approval of the PCAT Redevelopment from the State of
At the
beginning of the 2007 academic year, the OUS Chancellor’s Office became
interested in being a partner with the project.
With approval of the OUS Board, the Chancellor’s office became the third
major tenant of the building.
In January
of 2007 Yost Grube Hall Architecture and Skanska Construction won the rights to
design and build the new building. One
final partner in the building, the City of
The
building is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2009 with the Campus Recreation Outdoor
Program and
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Photo Galleries
July 2007
PCAT before the start
August 2007
Photos of Groundbreaking Ceremony
September 2007
The walls come down
