Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 'We tried to de-escalate it' App Finder: Top tax apps Emergency Services West Medford neighbors welcome program to feed homeless, but want bathrooms added Eight vie for Medford School Board positions Crime, Courts and Emergency Services 'We tried to de-escalate it' Emergency Services Boyfriend gets 20 years for abuse of toddler Pursuit of stolen car in Medford ends with crash, power outage Emergency services, March 19 Politics and Elections Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Special election: Jackson County voters OK marijuana tax Ex-Merkley aide chosen as Oregon secretary of state Ashland: Budget increase, swimming pool funding discussion on council agenda Education Eight vie for Medford School Board positions Proposed Medford textbook raises constitutional concern North Medford High School principal to retire in June Southern Oregon University's building boom adds up to $130 million South Medford, Ashland, St. Mary's students building video game Environment Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Odd visitors found off Oregon Coast Forum explores data gathered in Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Herptilian haven Proposed new rules for Oregon critter catchers would require the killing of nuisance animals State News Bend company's aim: Connect investors to Africa Brown proposes $1 billion in California drought spending Are they decorations or desecration? The Dalles Standoff: Suicide by smoke inhalation Officials urge meningitis shots at University of Oregon Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices David Braden Frohnmayer Ray Houck Death Notices Geneva Rosel Canty Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Sports Latest Stories Grants Pass duo tops Crater tourney Thomas pitches North Medford past Henley Harden erupts for 50 in Rockets victory Djokovic reaches semifinals via walkover Grandma dies, then Hoffman takes lead Varsity 541 College Sports Despite critics aplenty, UCLA surprises SMU on rare 3-pointer Beavers ready for NCAA home date Familiar feeling greets Ducks, Cowboys Early exit for Colorado State at NIT BSU loses heartbreaker Pro Sports Harden erupts for 50 in Rockets victory Djokovic reaches semifinals via walkover Grandma dies, then Hoffman takes lead Cavs pick up 14th straight at home Federer, Nadal, Murray reach quarters Community Sports Business Latest Stories Blog: Three Cheers for Today! Test Drive: 2015 Subaru Outback Limited Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep Oregon winemaking emerges as mighty agricultural force Rogue Disposal plans natural gas fueling site Real Estate News East McAndrews Road sees a resurgence in commercial projects Business briefs: March 7 New construction prices jump 18.2 percent in Jackson County People In Business People in Business: Feb. 28 People in Business Transportation Rogue Disposal plans natural gas fueling site Alaska, United Express boost Medford airport to record February CEO Rieder leaving Erickson March 31 Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Agriculture Harry & David announces new president Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 Opinion Latest Our View: Textbook authors' reasoning hard to fathom Letters to the Editor, March 20 Michael Gerson: Hillary Clinton's Nixonian path to office Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Antionette Kerr: Some items shouldn’t fly with TSA Editorials Our View: Textbook authors' reasoning hard to fathom Our View: White House public records move is less than sunny Our View: Where the wild things shouldn't be Our View: Keeping the light trained on government Other Views: State must rein in medical marijuana Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, March 20 Letters to the Editor, March 19 Letters to the Editor, March 18 Letters to the Editor, March 17 Letters to the Editor, March 16 Columns Michael Gerson: Hillary Clinton's Nixonian path to office Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Dana Milbank: GOP budget is one big gimmick George Will: Kasich waits in the wings Kathleen Parker: Hillary and the Media: Act 2016 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action Guest Opinion: Return to clearcutting is wrong approach for counties Guest Opinion: Plan a Hawthorne playground for all children Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Lifestyle Latest stories Looking Up: Looking for the zodiacal light Ocean salmon look plentiful off the Southern Oregon coast this year, but next year's a different story (No heading) Wood bison to roam Alaska again Health Watch: 5 tips for seasonal allergy relief Food Eat this, not that Peanut allergy breakthrough Eat your sprouts More fast food perils Pork perfection: Consider pork steaks instead of ham for the Easter dinner table Home and Garden Hello, honey: Invite bees for a lush garden Understand home inspection Dear Monty: Tips for checking out an existing septic system Garden Cameos: Now is the perfect time to spot wildflowers Paul Rogers: It’s time to assess the damage to yards Health Health Watch: 5 tips for seasonal allergy relief A better bedtime Studying stress Eat this, not that Peanut allergy breakthrough Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs Religion News: Presbyterian Church gives approval on same-sex marriage Religion briefs: Friday, March 13 More religion events in the Rogue Valley Religion Briefs Milestones and Achievements Haga-Parks Exercise helps special-needs kids adjust to airport procedures Engagement: Workman-Wright Anniversary: Hofer Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Here's five top entertainment picks for the coming week Alt-rock band Key of Three is a contender this weekend at Rising Stars Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Review: 'Same Time' after all these years Theater Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Review: Thanks for the Memories pulls off challenging 'Anastasia' Review: 'Same Time' after all these years Randall Theatre presents playwright Bernard Slade's comedy Thanks for the Memories presents 'Anastasia' Music Alt-rock band Key of Three is a contender this weekend at Rising Stars Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Kites & Crows, Ryan Marchand and Mercy Duo face-off this weekend at Rising Stars music competition in Jacksonville Rogue Valley Chorale presents 'A Festival of Choirs' at the Craterian Theatre SOU's Chamber and Concert choirs present 'Songs of Passion' Community Events Rogue Valley artist Linda Evans' pastel paintings capture landscapes of Southern Oregon Ashland Independent Film Festival announces this year's lineup OSF Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jesse Lawson and Joe Moxley host 'Barkeeper' Dining Jasmine Thai Cuisine Restaurant Inspections Agave offers gourmet tacos, tamales, ensaladas and more Serra storms Seattle Sakura Japanese Sushi Restaurant opens in new location Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW 'We tried to de-escalate it' ... Our View: Textbook authors' reasoning hard to fathom ... Emergency Services ... 'We tried to de-escalate it' ... Our View: Textbook authors' reasoning hard to fathom ... Emergency Services ... SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY Southern Oregon University's building boom adds up to $130 million New dorms, science building and athletic complex among $130 million in projects By Sam Wheeler for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Sam Wheeler for the Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 17, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Sam Wheeler for the Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 17, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> More than $130 million in scheduled and completed capital improvements at Southern Oregon University since 2010 are changing the face of the school and solidifying its place as a cornerstone of Ashland’s economy.  The school is planning to break ground in August on a project that will transform 120,000-square-foot, nearly six-decade-old McNeal Pavilion into a polished and sturdy new athletic hub for students and fans with the addition of a 58,000-square-foot student recreation center. The $29 million remodel and expansion, which included a new $800,000 synthetic turf at Fuller Field, hasn’t been awarded to a contractor, said Drew Gilliland, SOU's director of facilities, planning, management and sustainability. Two architectural firms were selected and worked together to design the project, with the recreation center being designed by Sink Combs Dethlefs Architects in Colorado and McNeal being designed by Straus & Seibert Architects of Medford. Most of the building must be replaced, including the space now occupied by the main gym, an auxiliary gym, a dance studio and the pool. Those components, minus the pool, are planned to be rebuilt from the ground up, Gilliland said. He emphasized that the architects’ plans are still in flux as parties make adjustments to avoid cost overruns. The school’s aging Science Building has been under construction for the last eight months, with $21 million in upgrades scheduled to be completed in time for the start of fall term. Andersen Construction, which has offices in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, is working to complete the project. Across the street, the Theater Arts building is poised for a $11.5 million facelift. Half of the funding was secured by the university during the 2009-2011 biennium. The rest should come through in April or May following approval by the state Legislature, Gilliland said. The building will be expanded by as much as 60,000 square feet. The building is currently being designed at Medford-based Ogden Roemer Wilkerson Architecture, Gilliland said.  With about 750 employees, SOU is the city’s largest employer, and it’s been good to see the school flourishing, especially during tough economic times, said Katharine Cato, marketing director for the Ashland Chamber of Commerce.  “We have such a valuable partnership with SOU. ... Education has always been one of the foundations of Ashland,” Cato said. “There is a lot of optimism there, and there is growth.” That can only be positive for Ashland, she said. In September 2013, SOU completed a $56.6 million project that included nearly 200,000 square feet of new residence halls and a 25,300-square-foot dining hall. Although the dining hall was paid for mostly with $7 million in state funding, it and the two residence halls were built on SOU-owned land that was leased to American Campus Communities, a Texas-based builder-manager of campus properties that financed the new residential halls for SOU. The construction portion of the project, handled by Medford-based Adroit Construction, cost an estimated $40 million of the university's $56.6 million investment agreement with American Campus Communities. During summer 2013, Southern Oregon-based Ausland group completed $700,000 in upgrades to Taylor Hall, which was outfitted with new windows, exterior walls and other energy-saving upgrades.  A year later, the Plunkett Center, on the farthest west side of campus, received a new roof at a cost of $118,000. The funding for that project, as with the upgrades at Taylor Hall, came from $1.5 million SOU is awarded each biennium from the state to cover deferred maintenance costs.  With $339,000 in state deferred maintenance money, the school also remodeled the second story of Britt Hall to better centralize the school's administration offices, creating Britt Service Center.  In summer 2012, the school completed a $6.4 million renovation of nearly 90-year-old Churchill Hall. The project was paid for out of deferred maintenance money allocated by the Legislature, Gilliland said.  “Between 2010 and 2013, we were running almost $50 million worth of projects ... about 75 percent of that went to local contractors,” Gilliland said. Of the roughly $132 million in infrastructure investments scheduled at SOU’s campus since 2010, about $47 million of the funding is state-allocated, about $29 million is paid for through student fees by Ashland students, and the remaining $56 million or so is part of the public-private investment agreement tied to the new residential halls. State Rep. Peter Buckley, D-Ashland, co-chairman of the budget-writing Ways and Means Committee, and State Sen. Alan Bates, D-Medford, have both helped rope in hard-to-get state dollars for improvements at SOU. “Buckley has definitely been an wonderful supporter, him and Bates, of representing our needs to the Legislature,” Gilliland said. “Part of that success is reflected in the funding we've received. He was very instrumental in taking care of the McNeal deterioration problem. Even recently, (Buckley) was willing to go to bat for us again, when we realized we couldn't afford a pool for the McNeal project. Without Buckley and Bates and the leadership at the university, we wouldn't be where we are right now. “The investment that the state has made in Southern Oregon, not only has made us a better institution, it has made us a better community,” he said. Reach freelance writer Sam Wheeler at [email protected]. By Sam Wheeler for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Sam Wheeler for the Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 17, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501