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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 5, 1978)
Release in ‘30 to 60 days’ Feasibility study eyes new Mac Court By RICHARD SEVEN Of the Emerald The bouncing scoreboard and screaming fans may become a part of Mac Court’s history if a “feasibility study” on a new University basketball pavilion by alumni and Eugene businessmen proves favorable. The study, headed by Peter Wingert, a Vida businessman and former Univer sity athletic director and Eugene lum berman Peter Murphy, is scheduled to be finished in “30 to 60 days." Murphy warns that the new pavilion project is still in the research stages but says it “definitely looks promising.” Ar chitecture firms have been contacted for cost analyses, businessmen have been asked for monetary or material dona tions and Eugene residents have been surveyed for information on community support. The survey asked if citizens would be willing to pledge money toward the new pavilion, and responses have been favorable, Murphy says. “It’s getting close to the time that we have to decide whether to go with this project or forget about it,” he says. ‘The timing is crucial with inflation. Construction costs are going up weekly.” Murphy estimates the actual construc tion of the program won’t be started until the beginning of 1979 at the earliest. University Pres. William Boyd has said he hopes the pavilion uses mostly wood, because it would be an “expres sion of the pride and the quality of life in Eugene.” Murphy says using wood for construc tion would enable the builders to use lumber donations from the numerous mills surrounding Eugene. Boyd and John Caine, University ath letic director, have expressed their de sire for the pavilion to hold at least 17,000 seats — the minimum needed to house the NCAA basketball champion ships. The cost of the facility is expected to run about $10 to $17 million. Murphy says he feels once the build ing is completed it will pay for itself by attracting better concerts and events as well as offering more seating for Duck sports fans. Caine says the University could im mediately sell nearly 8,(XX) season tick ets to the general public. The University currently sells 4,500 season tickets and has a waiting list of more than 2,000. The amount of tickets available to students hasn’t been determined as yet, but that will probably depend on the proportion of incidental student fees that are used to fund the project. Mac Court was built in 1927, costing $175,000. It now seats 10,500. Murphy says the new civic auditorium being constructed in downtown Eugene won’t conflict with community approval for the pavilion. “Our needs will be very different for both structures,” he says. “Ours will be large and hopefully draw wider areas of community interest. The auditorium will be smaller and be used mainly as a cul tural environment. Both facilities will complement Eugene; this city is ready for both.” Boyd has already said that in order to gain his support the project must show there is enough booking through dona tions and gifts. His other priorities in clude other needed capital construction projects, such as ensuring access to University classes libraries for the hand icapped. However, Boyd feels the new pavilion would benefit the college and draw more students to the area and thus could ulti mately solve some of its current budget ary problems. Caine says the project would have locker rooms and facilities or skating and paddle tennis, among other activities. He also emphasizes that Mac Court would still be used extensively. A possible site for the pavilion would be on a strip of University land located adjacent to Alton Baker Park. Peace Pilgrim to speak The Peace Pilgrim, an elderly woman who has walked 25,000 miles on the North American continent, will speak at the University Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in the EMU courtyard. She plans to be in the Northwest through 1978, saying she will “remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way to peace.” Her appearance at the University is sponsored by the Survival Center. I College graduate NEED A JOB? Try ODE classifieds We love you Malty — thanks for a great year to College Students LEAVING FOR THE SUMMER? Art and text for this ad created by University students Ann Mori and Alan Yamamoto for Pacific Northwest Bell. BRING YOUR TELEPHONE TO US WE LL GIVE YOU A $5 CREDIT. THAT’S RIGHT, $5.00 If you’re a telephone subscriber in your private residence living off campus, and are completely disconnecting your entire residence—it’s easy. Just unplug your sets (if your phones are not the plug-in type, just snip them two inches from the wall connection) and bring them to the EMU Main Lobby from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., June 8,9 and 12, or to the Eugene PhoneCenter store open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., open late Friday, June 9 and Monday, June 12 through Friday, June 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. In Springfield, the PhoneCenter store is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Then, we’ll give you a $5 credit on your closing bill. So, on the way out don’t forget your telephones. You’ll be doing yourself a favor. Any questions? Call the PNB Business Office, 343-8601.
