Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1928 [PAGE 406]

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1927J

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS PAVING OF ARMORY AVENUE

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(17) The following letter was received from the City Attorney of Champaign: June 20, 1927 President David Kinley, University of Illinob, Urbana, Illinois M y dear President Kinley: O n behalf of the Mayor and City Commissioners of the City of Champaign, Illinois, I a m writing you with reference to the pavement of Armory Avenue from the West property line of Oak Street to the West property line of First Street. The assessment roll is practically completed and will be filed tomorrow in the office of the County Clerk of Champaign County, Illinois. Since w e feel that this is a valuable improvement and of benefit to the University, w e are writing to request that the University co-operate with the City officials in the matter of bearing their share of the costs in proportion to the benefits received. The city has always been able in the past to work in harmony with the University, and w e see no reason w h y a satisfactory arrangement can not be made on the matter of this pavement. The Commissioner w h o spread the assessment roll has fixed the sum of $2,693.38 as the portion of the costs of Armory Avenue that would be fair and equitable for the University to bear for the property fronting on that street. W e would be pleased to have the University authorities take such action as is necessary to agree upon this amount as a just assessment. W e would be pleased to hear from you at your earliest opportunity. Very sincerely, Louis Busch In considering the proposition in the above letter of the City Attorney of Champaign, the Supervising Architect calls attention to these points: I. N o system of adequate surface drainage is included in this paving plan to take care of the whole Stadium area. 2. If this paving project is put through as planned, the owners of property on Oak and Locust Streets are likely to be incommoded in times of heavy storms by the large volume of surface water running off the University area to the south, thus subjecting the University to unmerited criticism. In view of the lack of provision necessary for drainage of the University Stadium area, and in view of the probable difficulty caused by surface drainage water as indicated in No. 2 above, I have told the authorities of the City of Champaign that I could not recommend to you the acceptance of the assessment against the University for the paving project described in the letter of the City Attorney, said assessment amounting to $2,693.38, unless some arrangement could be agreed on to take care of the drainage of the Stadium area and also to grant the request of the Board of Trustees for the vacation of the streets in the tract known as College Place, as set forth in the above resolution as amended. [See Rec. 16 above]. T h e Mayor, the City Engineer, and the representative of the City Attorney of C h a m paign, M r . E . C. Harrington, in informal conference with the Supervising Architect, the Comptroller and myself, have agreed that they will enlarge the tile which it is planned to lay in connection with the new paving project referred to above, so as to make more adequate provision for the drainage of the Stadium area referred to, this enlargement to be at the expense of the University, and also to secure at the earliest possible date the passage of an ordinance by the City Council of C h a m paign accepting the resolution of September 22, 1926, as amended above, the University to proceed as soon as feasible to open the new Gregory Street therein mentioned. It is impossible at this time to give an exact statement of the additional cost to the University caused by the proposed enlargement of the tiles to be put in to drain the surface in connection with the proposed paving. However, it is not likely