Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1938 [PAGE 649]

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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

647

that he consider including in the call for a special session of the General Assembly an appropriation for a new building to relieve the situation. Following this up, the President of the Board and I had an interview with him on March 3, 1938, at which we discussed the situation in detail. T h e Governor visited the University on March 10, personally inspecting University Hall and other buildings. At the conclusion of his visit he expressed his agreement with the decision of the Board of Trustees to raze University Hall and stated further that if a special session of the General Assembly is called he will recommend an appropriation for a new building. It is important that plans for a new building or buildings be prepared as soon as possible so that they will be ready when and if a special building appropriation becomes available. Before building studies can be undertaken it is necessary to know what type of building is desired (that is, a classroom and office type or a laboratory building), whether one large building or two smaller ones should be erected, and the location thereof. I therefore recommend that the Board consider these questions today so that decisions can be made and instructions given to the Physical Plant Department without undue delay.

On motion of Mr. Adams, the Physical Plant Department was authorized and instructed to make studies of a building for classrooms and offices to be located on the site south of Lincoln Hall.

RAZING OF UNIVERSITY HALL (3) Pursuant to the instructions of the Board at its meeting on February n (Minutes, page 627), the Physical Plant Department secured bids on the removal of University Hall. T h e contract was awarded to the lowest bidder, the J. M. Krauss Lumber and Wrecking Company of Chicago, on its base bid and alternate of $2,599 to be paid to the contractor for the work. The contract requires the company to raze the building and to remove from the premises all debris not later than May 1, 1938, although some extension of this time may be necessary due to conditions over which the contractor has no control. T h e University is to fill the excavation and grade the area. The wrecking of the building was delayed from March 7 to March 10, 1938, inclusive, at the request of the University, so that the contractor may claim four days at $65 a day, or $260, for additional expenses incurred, plus an extension of four days time beyond May 1, 1938, for completion of the contract.

This report was received for record. The matter of constructing of a small-scale model of University Hall was referred to the Committee on Buildings and Grounds for consideration and report.

REPLACEMENT OF SEATING AND FLOOR IN AUDITORIUM (4) Pursuant to instructions of the Board on February 11 (Minutes, page 628), the Physical Plant Department received bids on seating to replace the old seats in the University Auditorium. T h e best proposal—quality, design, and price considered—was from the American Seating Company, although another manufacturer submitted a slightly lower bid. T h e base bid of the American Seating Company was $14,401, or a unit price of $6.81 a chair; that of the lowest bidder was $14,338, or $6.79 a chair. On recommendation of the Physical Plant Department and after consultation with the Chairman of the Committee on Buildings and Grounds, the contract was awarded to the American Seating Company because of the following advantages its seat has over that submitted by the lowest bidder: (1) additional clearance between rows of 3 inches due to seat returning to vertical position; (2) better workmanship and construction in seat; (3) better design of seat back; (4) adjustable pitch of seat back renders better vision for balcony seats; (5) a more comfortable seat; (6) better construction of aisle light; (7) heavier end castings. The Board had also considered the replacement of the main floor of the Auditorium. If the new seats are fastened to the present floor it will be impossible to adjust them later to a different curvature. T h e present floor is unsatis-