Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 1993)
AMAZON Continued from Page 1 rent buildings mn\ he demol ished before plans for rebuilding are in place. Sorenson said that ho has writ ten a letter to Higher Kducation Chancellor Thomas Harllett urg ing tin' moratorium and that he will meet with University I’res ident Myles Brand soon to dis cuss this and several other topic s Sorenson expressed three major otnninis about the- projex t First, no plans are currently in place to rebuild Amazon after the scheduled demolition. "I have requested to see the plans, but I haven't seen any I think it would be good to see them so that we know the cost and when all this will happen I certainly hope that lh« t 'niversi ty will have some plans in place anti that students will have the opportunity to participate in the prut ess If that t an i*> done quick 1 v. that's OK with me." Sorenson said. Sorenson, the newly appoint ed senator of the district that includes the University and the Amazon community, also said he is concerned that the ongoing controversy will erode the image of the University, lx>th in the U>g islaturu and statewide. "I want to make certain that the University's importance in the state is put forward, and that the University is not seen as a group of people who are bickering. It ;SUBSHOP 4 I I I 1225 ALDER 345-2434 t concerns me to see a decision that involves so main people become so difficult." he said Sorenson also mentioned a 1992 engineering study that housing and administration offi cials often use to argue in favor of current evacuation and demo lition He said the report by MS&G architects of Eugene did not conclusively find that the facility must tie rebuilt The report recommends that the Amazon facility should he abandoned after 199ft, but also s,i\s the fat ility's life span is "n highly suh|et live issue without any dear conclusive information triggering a calculable life-span.” The report bIso found that there is not a clear and imme diate life safety hazard." but rec ommended a study to improve the fin* alarm system Critics of the report say it was done in a hurried fashion and that the findings were inconclu sive and misleading They fur ther say that the report lumps the two-story and single-story units together, and that the two-story units an- in an obviously worse condition than the single stories One Amazon tenant, Bruc e Gibbons, who is a licensed gen eral i ontractor. attacked the report in a written statement dat ed Sept IT. 199.1. "In tin experience as a builder I can see no justification for the demolition of the single story units the two-storv units are in worse condition than the single sior\ units and could possibly !»■ candidates for demolition. I think that the two-story units need fur ther study," l.ihlxins wrote Sorenson said there is no def inite c onclusion over the need to rebuild. We noed to got a definite answer, yes or no." Sorenson said "If the answer is that we need to rebuild, and that answer comet after a longer study, we should go out anti get an archi tini that will incorporate the var ious needs of the project Right now we don't have an engineer ing study and we don't have an architect with any plans I don't think we should be taking any further steps without plans." Amazon tenants released a statement the same day renew ing their call for a moratorium on demolition plans, evacuation of current residents, for the Uni versity to sever its relationship with Christopher Alexander, and his firm. CES/T&E Venture, and to halt plans to construct Alexan der's Amazon Master Plan. The statement further called for greater student involvement and i ontrol in decisions madeby the University and the housing department After all, we pay for those decisions, the statement said. Residents also demanded an additional independent study of the Amazon facility that "estab lishes the condition of all units and takes into consideration the possibility of maintaining units that nn> safe and habitable." Residents also complained that the closure of roughly too units, which is set to be com pleted by March 1994. is unnet essary and costly. Thirty-eight units have been emptied so far. at a cost of roughly $7,000 per month in lost rent payments. "As citizens of Oregon and as residents of I.ano County we insist that the University pre serve what low income housing already exists in South Eugene until they provide us with a plan that they intend to build new units that are truly loyv cost," the statement said. Alexander and his firm are currently under investigation by the state Architect Examiner’s Hoard to determine the Alexan der's exact role in the Amazon project. Macintosh Rentals ^ and Services A computer lounge alternative. Hourly rentals of color Mars in comfortable setting. Reservations, competitive rales and free coffee. Compart Macs delivered to you. Troubleshooting & training 15% discount lo student*. $15.00 Mac tune-up special. 683-8945 “31 years of Quality Service” Mercedes • BMW • Volkswagen Audi • Datsun • Toyota GERMAN AUTO SERVICE, INC. 342-2912 2025 Franklin Blvd Eugene, Oregon, 97402 HOUSING Continued from Page 1 nfford to attend the University. lit* said that he. his wife Ruth and his 7-year-old son Gabe hove put a lot of effort into pointing and dec orating the two bedroom unit that they have lived in for the past six weeks "This is our home." he said. "It's not much, but if you work hard enough you can make it comfort able and safe " They were evacuated from their original unit because it was part of the impact zone in the first phase of demolition, whit h is scheduled to start this summer. Sheryl Hogan, an Amazon resident for 1H months, was also ovai noted from that zone Nonetheless, she said that the hassle of mov ing, and Amazon's warped floors and lead point are a small inconvenience when compared to the higher rents she would face in non-university hous ing. She said that the Amazon community is a unique place to raise her 10-year- old son as she pursues an architecture degree Closure of Amazon, she said, "is really going to affect single parents. It may eliminate them from getting a college education.” She said that she believes the units an’ worth sav ing and should be restored instead of torn down. Former Amazon resident. David Zupen said that he also feels that Amazon should be repaired and preserved, and that University officials may have ignored tenant's endorsement of this option when officials decided to demolish Amazon and build Amazon Village. Zupen, a representative of the Eugene Council for I.ower Income Housing, said that University officials promised in 1980 to maintain the current Amazon structures for an indefinite period of time. He claims that University housing officials have reneged on this agreement by labeling Amazon as temporary housing and portraying the facility as unsafe. "Isn't it alKiut time that wo realized that these are permanent structures and a permanent part of the community that we feel very attached to." he said. “Amazon is part of our culture, and we don’t want to star it torn down." v WE WONT PLAY * TOP 40. . RHYTHM AND RENEWS. I FRIDAYS W THE EMERALD VI_C_t— Learn How To Save A Life C.P.R. Workshop Get Certified NOW! $10 Fee Includes: • 4 Hour Class • Instruction Booklet • Red Cross C.P.R. Certification Card • For registered UO students only • Cancellations must be 24 hours m advance or student will be charged for workshop • C.P.R. classes held in Student Health Center Cafeteria ‘V CPR Classes Nov. I - 5 pin-9pm Nov. 2 - 5:30-9:30pm Nov. 4 - 5pm-9pm First Aid Classes Nov. 3 - 5pm-9pm Nov. 9 - 5pm-9pm > I Nov. 10 - 5pm~9pm Nov. 11 - 5:.M>-9:30pn Register Eerlg!^ 346-2170 I S(*<nu<rrJ fn Ihr Simlrni Hralth Cnutr Ijfrttvie Planning Pntfnum Cash For Textbooks Mon Sat. Smith Family Bookstore 768 E. 13th 1 Block From Campus 345-1651 Jloorm fl mm It The Finest Chinese and American Food Open for lunches and dinners until 10:30 p.m. Mon. - Thurs. and until midnight Fri. and Sat. Restaurant & Lounge 947 Franklin Blvd. 343-4480 A ilneL will >i«ki Hi_ ... lie floats l»y - but it' you 1*0 eontli far enough. well ... I hr n,„iu