PSU Magazine Spring 1994

\ \ \ \ - CJ - CJ \ \ ..... ..... FUTURE PSU ACADEMIC ' "- AND SUPPORT BUI.DINGS ' EXISTING PSU HOUSING ' S.W ClMll ST FUTURE PSU HOUSING ' UNIVERSITY DISTRICT WORKING CONCEPT PLAN "The tran portation planning hasn't been set. This i all ve ry visiona ry at this point," says Ewart. The tran portation link to PSU figure to be a hot political issue during the next year a regiona l government o rt out several competing light-ra il routes from downtown Portl and to point outh. University District proponents believe tatist ics back up the need fo r light ra il near PSU. P U attracts 5 milli on vi itors a yea r, accordi ng to data obta ined by the Univer ity through everal out i<le planning ources. That figure compares to I million visits per yea r to the Washington Park Zoo, which i getti ng a major light-ra il ration as part of Portland's westside light-ra il extension . Alo, Tri -Met figures show that the P U area draws at least 4,200 bus boarding on a typical weekday-2 percent of the transit agency's entire Portland average weekday rid ership, ays tevejohnson, Tri -Met public affai rs officer. Increas ing public transit se rvi ce to P U would reduce future parking 14 PSU Magaz ine demand, reduce traffic congestion and help downtown meet clean air tandards, planners note. Estab lishing a transportation plaza and light-ra il station nex t to campu · i "a very, very strong propo al, and it couldn't be better timed," say the Portland Pl anning Bureau's Harrison. Timing a l o seems ripe for securing initial federal fund s for the University Pla:a transit mall. This summer, P U will ask ongress fo r 2 million in federa l appropriations fo r the planning and de ·ign of the plaza, transit mall and an Urban Cente r Building. T ota l cost of the building and pla:a is an est imated $25 million. PSU already has begun seeking additional federa l and state Fund as well as private donations to support con truction . Also, the University will dedicate a portion of its revenues from parking and lea ·cd ·pace to finance the project. Perhap no building on PSU' drawing board is more symbolic of what the University envi·ions fo r the future than the Urban Center Building. The building would finally bring under one roof P U's many urban– related programs. The University's Schoo l of Urban and Public Affairs, now housed in a rickety, 60-yea r-o ld converted apartment build ing, and the G raduate School of oc ial Work, would relocate to the new building. Also, the newly approved j o int Archi– tecture Program developed between P U and the Uni versity of O regon would be hou ed in the Urban Center. Beyond serving P U's academic need , the building would house confe rence and meet ing rooms fo r public u e, plus be a site fo r di ranee lea rning, connecting P U to people acros the state and nat ion . "This building will show the community what an urban univers ity i all about. lt will house programs that provide direct ervice to the commun– ity and will also be one of the gateways to the campus," ays Debbie Murdock, ass istant to the President for Government Relat ions at PSU. Housing, howeve r, looms as an equall y important component of the U ni ver ity Di trict Concept. City and campu planners are mulling the rezoning of the area southeast of PSU from a commerc ial :one to a high– density re i<lential :one. Also, planners wou ld like to see a greater mi x of hou ing immediately to the northwe t of campus. The idea is to offer housing that attracts not on ly tudents but PSU staff and faculty, plus others who may work in the area. By improving housing options and providing fo r a grea ter mix of district resident , there's mo re like lihood th at diver e reta il services wi ll fol low. Yu<lkin, co-owner of Hot Lips Pizza near campus, is all for boosting reta il oppo rtuniti es nea r PSU. But he hopes a final plan doesn't price ut small entrepreneurs-the kind of fo lk who open the quirky little shops usua ll y assoc iated with a university district. Yudkin should know. He opera tes anoth er Hot Lips Pi:za outl et in eattle' Uni ve rsity of Wa hington "U Di trier." ''I'll be concerned about how they' ll go about des igning new pace (for reta il shops)," Yudkin says." ! don't