Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1980 [PAGE 270]

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BOARD OF T R U S T E E S

[April 20

all or a portion of the farm at the acquisition cost. O n April 21, 1971, the Board of Trustees authorized the acquisition of the south 59.1 acres. The president of the University, with the concurrence of appropriate administrative officers, recommends that authority be given to acquire from the Foundation, subject to the availability of funds, approximately 131 acres immediately north of the 59.1 acres referred to above. Funds in the sum of $400,000 have been appropriated to the Capital Development Board from Capital Development Bond funds (FY 1979) for die benefit of the University, subject to release by the governor, for the acquisition of agricultural research land at the Urbana-Champaign campus. The Capital Development Board has been asked to request the governor to release these funds for this purpose. The option to purchase this land will not be exercised by the University until these funds are available for payment of the acquisition price.

Acquisition of Land for Willard Airport

(31) Part of the present federal-state improvement project for the University of Illinois-Willard Airport includes the acquisition of land for a clear zone for Runway 4-22. 1 T h e University of Illinois Foundation has entered into an option agreement to purchase approximately 68 acres of land, of which 45.3 acres are included for acquisition in the project. T h e president of the University, with the concurrence of appropriate administrative officers, recommends that the Foundation be requested to purchase the entire tract of land and to lease the property to the University at a rental sufficient to enable the Foundation to pay die interest on the bank loan to finance the acquisition. Funds from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics, are available to reimburse the University for 45.3 acres. T h e Foundation will be requested to provide interim financing until funds for the remaining 23 acres are available. (The University is requesting reimbursement for the balance of this land through the federal-state program for airport improvements in FY 1980.)

By consensus the board again agreed that one roll call vote would be taken and considered the roll call vote on each of the next five items. The student advisory vote was: Aye, Miss Kooper, Mr. Sobotka, Mr. Watson; no, none. On motion of Mr. Lenz, these items were approved by the following vote: Aye, Dr. Donoghue, Mr. Forsyth, Mr. Hahn, Mr. Howard, Mr. Lenz, Mr. Neal, Mr. Stone, Mr. Velasquez; no, none; absent, Mrs. Shepherd, Governor Thompson.

Litigation Initiated by London Allen, a Minor

(32) A complaint has been filed in the Illinois Court of Claims (Case No. 79 CC 0581) on behalf of Landon Allen, a minor, by his mother and next friend, Betty Allen. The University is the sole defendant. The complaint alleges that the claimant (then three years of age) was attending a basketball game on December 31, 1977, at the University's building located at 901 West Roosevelt Road on the Chicago Circle campus. It is alleged that the University failed to properly maintain the retractable spectator stands in a reasonably safe condition causing the claimant to sustain injuries when he fell from the spectator stand to the floor below due to a loose railing.

1 The improvement program is limited to the objective indicated. It bears no relationship to the consultant's recommendations in the Airport Master Plan.