Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1950 [PAGE 199]

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196

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[January 13

EXECUTIVE SESSION

MATTERS PRESENTED BY PRESIDENT STODDARD

The Board in executive session considered the following matters presented by the President of the University.

STAFF HOUSING RESEARCH PROJECT (1) There is in Urbana-Champaign, and probably will continue to be for some time to come, a serious shortage of residences, especially for rent. New houses have been built recently, and more are under construction, privately financed. Most of these are priced at $15,000 and upward. There are practically no houses being built for rental purposes. The University could use perhaps 300 houses for rent to staff members, present and prospective. Many families are inadequately housed or must pay rents beyond their means. This is especially true of those in the intermediate ranks. This situation presents to the Small Homes Council an extraordinary opportunity to apply certain principles of construction and other ideas it has developed through research on a small scale to a housing project under realistic conditions. The proposed project will require the services of architects who are specialists in designing modular houses which can be constructed at a reduced unit cost byusing mass production techniques; of a site planner; and of builders expert in such types of residence construction who have the organization, personnel, and other resources to build houses rapidly. Speed is essential. As conceived, the project would be completed and the houses ready for occupancy by September I, 1949. Accordingly, I recommend: (1) Authorization by the Board of Trustees of a staff housing research project for the construction, under the research supervision of the Small Homes Council, of about thirty single-family dwellings in Urbana-Champaign for rental to members of the staff, with provision for study and report. (2) An appropriation of not to exceed $325,000, to be supplemented by a loan on a self-liquidating basis, to cover the costs involved in the improvement of land, architectural services, building contracts, supervision and collection of research data required by the project, at a total estimated cost of $412,000. (3) Authorization to employ Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, Architects, of Chicago, at a fee of $16,000 for the following services: consultants to the Small Homes Council and the Physical Plant Department on design and construction, complete architectural services on preparation of working drawings, specifications, design and working drawings for site plan, utilities, grading, and supervision of construction. (4) Utilization of an area of approximately ten acres of land in an eightyacre tract now owned by the University at the southwest corner of Race Street and Florida Avenue, Urbana.

On request of President Stoddard, Professor Scheick commented on this matter. After discussion, and on motion of Mr. Livingston, this matter was referred to the Committee on Buildings and Grounds for consideration and recommendation to the Executive Committee, and the Executive Committee was authorized to take action on the recommendation of the Committee on Buildings and Grounds. 1

PURCHASE OF LAND FOR COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE (2) The University has been asked if it would be interested in acquiring a part or all of a half section (320 acres) of land immediately south of and adjoining the horticultural farm along the Race Street road. Additional land is needed by the Agricultural Experiment Station for research in problems of production and in veterinary medicine. This particular land is ideally located to serve both needs. This land has been appraised at $600 an acre by real estate experts employed by the University. The Dean of the College of Agriculture recommends the purchase of the land at this price.

1

See page 226 below.