News

Portland State University President Daniel O. Bernstine was on hand today at the Port of Portland as PSU’s deferred maintenance took center stage when Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced at his press conference the awarding of $2.3 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to two of PSU’s residence facilities for seismic upgrades. In addition to the $2.3 million, the state will provide about $780,000 in matching funds, bringing the total investment to $3.1 million.

The funds, which will be administered through the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, will be used for earthquake mitigation and seismic upgrades in the Ondine Residence Hall (1912 SW Sixth Ave.) and Montgomery Court (1207 SW Montgomery St.). PSU was selected to receive this critical funding because of the existence of the Portland Hills fault and the damage incurred in 1993 due to the Scotts Mill earthquake. In addition, these two facilities were selected because of their high occupancy rates and current susceptibility to earthquake damage.

Constructed in 1966, the Ondine is a 15-story student residential building that includes some University offices on the first and second floors, and two levels of parking attached to the sub-basement, basement and first floor of the main tower. The Ondine houses 192 studio apartments and 96 sleepers. Constructed in two phases (1916 and 1925), Montgomery Court is used for student housing, containing 145 sleepers, with administrative offices for College Housing Northwest on the first floor.

In recent years, PSU has focused on opening new residence halls that meet growing student enrollment demands, provide state-of-the-art academic and living facilities and reflect the university’s commitment to sustainable operations. In August 2003, PSU opened Stephen E. Epler Hall, replacing the aging Birmingham Hall. The 64,000 square-foot Epler Hall (1136 SW 11th Ave.) features 130 units that house 155 students as well as classroom space. The project focused on creating a high-quality living and learning environment for students, while incorporating many sustainable design strategies, such as natural lighting, building orientation, water and energy conservation measures, and optimum indoor air quality.

This fall, PSU will open Broadway Housing (SW Broadway and Jackson), a 217,000-square-foot student housing and mixed-use facility that will include one floor each of retail and classroom space, and eight floors of student housing with 384 studio apartments. The project is an innovative partnership involving the City of Portland, the PSU Foundation, Gerding/Edlen Development Company and PSU.

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Release Number: 04-041