News

A demolition ceremony today served as a symbolic start to a project years in the making and finalized just within the past few months with actions by the Oregon state legislature, Gov. Kulongoski and the city of Portland.

The $71 million “Academic and Student Recreation Center” (ASRC) will house a new recreation center for Portland State’s 25,000 students when it opens in fall 2009. The six-story, 180,300 square-foot facility will include much-needed classroom space and an auditorium, and will serve as the new home to PSU’s School of Social Work. In replacing the Portland Center for Advanced Technology (PCAT), a low-density, underutilized and inefficient facility, the ASRC will complete the Urban Center Plaza, one block north.

In addition, the city of Portland will move its historic archives to the center. The building will also provide additional space for the Oregon University System’s Office of the Chancellor, and will feature 19,300 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

“The new PSU facility will be a beautiful building that is active day and night—a building that again speaks to the University’s commitment to the larger community and to intelligent multi-use and urban design in the development of the campus,” said Lindsay Desrochers, PSU vice president for Finance and Administration. “It allows us to address a long-standing deficiency in available recreation space at PSU, and will provide an excellent site for the School of Social Work, in meeting that school’s important roles in teaching, research and service.”

“This project represents the best in partnership and collaboration not just across campus, but with the Portland Development Commission, the city and the state as well,” said Desrochers. “All parties stepped up to the plate to accomplish the financing goals for the project. The ASRC is being built concurrent with the new MAX Green Line and will complete the PSU Urban Center Plaza. Finally, the wonderful partnership between the city of Portland and PSU, as envisioned by Commissioner Randy Leonard and City Auditor Gary Blackmer, brings the city's historic archives to campus, enriching scholarship and education opportunities for students and faculty.”

Skanska USA Building Inc., and Yost Grube Hall Architecture of Portland, Ore., comprise the design-build team for the project.

Design, currently awaiting final approval from the Design-Review Board, reflects the Urban Center Plaza one block north (completed in 2000) and will meet or exceed Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification standards. The project fits with the University’s campus-wide commitment to sustainable practices, including LEED certification for all new construction.

With the entire project value at $71M, the ASRC represents a complex synergy of public and private partners.
• In December 2006, the state authorized $43 million in Article XI-F(1) bonds.
  o Student recreation fees will provide debt service coverage for $35 million of the XI-F(1) bonds;
  o Another $7 million will be covered by the retail leases on the buildings ground floor.
• The city of Portland contributed nearly $10 million to relocate its archives, which qualified as matching funds for $10 million in Article XI-G bonds, authorized by the state of Oregon during the 2007 Legislature.
• The Oregon University System provided $3 million to construct new OUS chancellor's office space.
• The Portland Development Commission contributed $2 million (and a portion of the land) to the project.
• PSU added over $3 million from various internal sources to ensure that the building would include several general access classrooms to accommodate growing instructional needs.

Transportation plays a key role in developing a site already the busiest in the TriMet system due in large part to the numbers of PSU students, faculty and staff commuting to campus via mass transit. The project will serve as hub for the new TriMet MAX Light Rail Green Line, currently under construction on Southwest Fifth and Sixth Avenues, with access to the Portland Streetcar line that traverses the adjacent Urban Plaza. A bicycle station will be located in the southeast corner of the new development.

About the design
The design for the new project will combine mechanical and electrical systems with operable windows to naturally ventilate offices, classrooms and recreational facilities to reduce energy use. Other sustainable design features include use of water efficient fixtures, rainwater collection, and development of roof terraces with drought-tolerant plantings to reduce landscape irrigation. Interior materials and furnishings including adhesives, paints, carpet and composites will be specified to eliminate toxic emissions and create a healthy indoor environment. Solar shading and lighting controls are also integrated with daylighting design to maximize natural lighting and reduce energy costs. Coupled with the use of recycled materials and specification of recyclable materials, the facility is targeted for a high Silver or Gold level LEED® rating to symbolize PSU’s ongoing commitment to development of a sustainable campus.

Media interested in project images, interviews and additional information may contact David Santen, University Communications (503-725-8789); Amy Winterowd, YGH (503-715-3210); or Nathan Gibson, Skanska (503-641-2500).

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#07-088)

By:
David Santen (503-725-8789)
PSU Office of University Communications

Source:
Lindsay Desrochers (503-725-4444)
Vice President, PSU Finance and Administration