Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1958 [PAGE 1114]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1958]

U N I V E R S I T Y OF

ILLINOIS

m i

EASEMENT ON UNIVERSITY PROPERTY ON ILLINOIS STREET (11) In purchasing the property on the south side of Illinois Street, between Mathews and Goodwin Avenues, the University acquired one-half of a row of twelve garages which, prior to University acquisition, had been constructed by a former owner and the owner of an adjoining property as a joint venture. It was obviously intended that the midpoint of this row of garages would be on the line between the two properties but when the sixth garage on University land was removed to clear the land for expansion and a parking area it was found that the midpoint of the row of garages was approximately twenty inches over on University-owned land. In removing the garages it was the University's obligation to close off the end of the six remaining units on the adjoining property. If the garages had been cut off exactly on the property line, the cost to the University of closing the end of the remaining units would have been greater since new doors would have been required; moreover, the garage unit affected would have been decreased in width and rendered unusable. The practical solution is to permit that part of the garage unit now on University land to remain until the owner removes the building. The University has no immediate need for this very small area of ground and its occupancy by the garage will not interfere with utilization of the adjoining area as a parking lot for the Biology Building across the street. The Director of the Physical Plant Department, the Vice-President and Comptroller, and the Legal Counsel recommend that the University grant an easement to Rachel M. Simpson, Collett E. Woolman, Barbara Preston, Martha Taylor, and Margaret Ann Murphy, the adjoining property owners, for the portion of the University property on which the garage encroaches, such easement to automatically terminate whenever the garage building is destroyed or removed. The University shall have the right to terminate the easement upon six months' written notice after twenty years. I concur and recommend that the Comptroller and the Secretary of the Board be authorized to execute the easement.

On motion of Mr. Bissell, this recommendation was approved, and the Comptroller and the Secretary of the Board were authorized to execute the necessary documents. This action was taken by the following vote: Aye, Mr. Bissell, Mrs. Holt, Mr. Johnston, Mr. Livingston, Mr. Nickell, Mr. Swain, Mr. Williamson; no, none; absent, Mr. Herrick, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Stratton, Mrs. Watkins.

CONDEMNATION OF PROPERTY AT I O I O WEST ILLINOIS STREET. URBANA, ILLINOIS (12) The University now owns considerable property lying between Green Street and Illinois Street in the 1000 block of West Green and Illinois Streets which will be needed as the site for Single Men's Dormitory Unit No. 4. The property located at 1010 West Illinois Street is being purchased by Elizabeth I. Keener under contract of sale and is needed as an additional property to the site for Single Men's Dormitory Unit No. 4. The property at 1010 West Illinois Street is owned by the Ada Lee Parker estate, an estate in probate in the County Court of Champaign County, Illinois. Prior to the death of Miss Parker, her conservator had sold the property on contract to Mrs. Elizabeth I. Keener, who is in possession of the property and who is paying the balance of the purchase price in monthly payments. The lot is improved with an old residence which has been converted to a student rooming house. Mrs. Keener occupies an apartment consisting of about three rooms on the first floor. The lot has a frontage of 62^3 feet on Illinois Street and has a depth of 199.64 feet. University officers have negotiated wilh Mrs. Keener for the purchase of this property, the negotiations having covered several months time. The University has had careful and detailed appraisals made of the property by six well-qualified real estate appraisers and has made an offer to purchase the property based on the values indicated in these appraisals. Several conferences have been held with Mrs. Keener in an attempt to arrive at the fair amount of compensation to be paid for the property. Mrs. Keener is willing to sell only at a Price which the University officers deem decidedly exorbitant and excessive.