Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1960 [PAGE 187]

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184

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[November 19

There is an unexpended balance of $40,000 in this appropriation. The Director of the Physical Plant and the Vice-President and Comptroller recommend that this balance be appropriated for architectural services on buildings to be constructed during 1959-61 as funds become available. I concur. O n m o t i o n of M r s . W a t k i n s , t h i s r e a p p r o p r i a t i o n w a s a p p r o v e d b y t h e following v o t e : A y e , M r . Bissell, M r . H e r r i c k , M r s . H o l t , M r . Hughes, Mr. Johnston, M r . Livingston, Mr. Swain, M r s . Watkins, Mr. Williamson; no, none; absent, M r . Nickell, M r . Stratton. ASSIGNMENT OF SITE FOR BUILDING FOR NATIONAL C O U N C I L OF TEACHERS OF ENGLISH ( n ) The University is presently leasing space at 704 South Sixth Street, Champaign, to the National Council of Teachers of English which established its headquarters at the University several years ago. The Council has plans to construct its own building and has requested the University to provide a site. This proposal was presented to the Committee on Buildings and Grounds at a meeting 1 held in Chicago on March 11, 1958. It was reported at that meeting that a site on University property in the block bounded by W r i g h t Street, Springfield Avenue, Sixth Street, and Healey Street in Champaign is available and is acceptable to the Council. T h e Board Committee and other Trustees present at its meeting unanimously agreed that the educational value to the University and to the state of having the National Council of Teachers of English located on the campus justifies the allocation of a suitable site on University property for this new building. Accordingly, the Committee approved the proposal and also approved in principle the recommendation of the University Building Program Committee for the allocation of a site in the area described. T h e Fire Training Tower occupies part of this site on Sixth Street, just back of the Vivarium Building. This area was formerly used by the Illinois Fire College but is no longer adequate for training purposes, and the Fire College has been holding its demonstrations and practice sessions elsewhere on University property. T h e Fire Training Tower was constructed many years ago, funds for it having been appropriated by the General Assembly of Illinois to the Illinois Firemen's Association. T h e Association is willing to release this space if the University will agree to join with it in sponsoring in the Seventy-first General Assembly of Illinois a bill for an appropriation from the Fire Prevention F u n d to provide for acquisition of additional land for the Fire College, and if the University will assure the Association that in the event such an appropriation is not forthcoming, the University will provide other land for the Fire College for temporary use. T h e Building Program Committee has approved the assignment of the space on Sixth Street to the National Council of Teachers of English and has allocated in the campus development program an area of six acres to be acquired for the Fire College. T h e Vice-President and Provost and the Vice-President and Comptroller recommend ( a ) that the Board of Trustees authorize a commitment to the Illinois Firemen's Association that the University will join it in seeking an appropriation of funds for the facilities needed by the Fire College and that the University will, in the meantime, provide land elsewhere on the campus for the Fire College, and (b) that the Board give formal assurance to the National Council of Teachers of English that the University will provide a site in the area described on which the Council may construct its new building through a lease of the site to the Council, or a lease of the site and the building to the Council if it should be agreed that the building to be constructed becomes the property of the University, the lease in either case to be for a long term at a nominal rental and upon such other terms and conditions as may be mutually agreed upon by the Council and the University. W h e n negotiations with the Council have been concluded, a further recommendation will be made to the Board of Trustees for the approval of such

1 AH six members of the Committee were present at the meeting, and three of the other members of the Board were also present and participated in the discussion.