Board of Trustees calls for speed-up in South Farms relocation

Ashley Kennedy
The Daily Illini

Agriculture just took a big step forward.

The University Board of Trustees, which in Chicago Wednesday and Thursday, approved a measure that called for a speed-up in the process to mobilize plans involving the South Farms relocation project.

Already on the books was a plan to relocate the University South Farms to the south side of Windsor Road. In its current place, the University plans on using much of the space to build the new Research Park. The goal of the speed-up isn't for the benefit of the research park, though.

"What is the single most important industry in the state of Illinois?" said University spokeswoman Lex Tate. "Agriculture. We've got to focus on this project."

The board passed the motion, which was not on the agenda until Thursday's meeting. It had been a prepared plan, but because of last-minute discussions, it was not put on the agenda until the last minute, Tate said.

The $118 million speed-up plan calls for the University to ask the state for funds to support the program. If the state denies support, the University declared itself committed to self-financing the project.

"Those farms are old and need work," said Eamon Kelly, Urbana campus' student trustee.

One aspect of the plan Kelly thought was important was the method of funding.

"It's important that the administration and the board worked together, but I think it's just as important that it didn't come out of tuition dollars."

Although the initial steps were made to speed up the relocation project, the major question raised at the meeting was how quickly it could happen.

"It's a pretty complicated thing," Tate said. "There's a lot of agriculture research going on there. You can't move the field because you cannot move the soil. There's experiments going on all over those fields. And you can't replant because it would change the conditions."

The relocation of the South Farms would entail not only moving around agriculture projects, but making plans for new structures, waste-handling lagoons, animal housing and many other variables.

"It will be a difficult move because you have to maintain the college during it," Tate said. "You can't put the animals on the Quad while you're making the move."

University Vice President for Economic Development David Chicoine said it would take between four and six years to make the move.

Also in board news

The 5.6 percent raise in the University's budget for fiscal year 2002 was approved Thursday. The operating budget for 2002 will be $2.8 billion, which is about a 5.6 percent increase from the 2001 budget. About $800,000 will be laid out for the operating costs of the new research park, and $5.1 million is part of Gov. George Ryan's VentureTECH fund.

The new requests for fiscal year 2003 were also pitched to the trustees. They involved a 7.8 percent increase from the 2002 budget, which involved a substantial salary hike for University faculty and an extended capital budget for renovations and rebuilding.

"The thing I was most excited about was the Lincoln Hall development," Kelly said. "I think it has a symbolic focus on LAS — we've got a good LAS school, and we need more resources. This will be just what we need."

Terrorism impact

Wednesday and Thursday's board meetings weren't excluded from the impact of Tuesday's act of terrorism. Several speakers who were scheduled to give presentations at the meeting were not able to come because of the halt of air transportation.

"I think everyone was just very somber," Kelly said. "But the chancellor was so involved and interested in facilitating some of the services that were going down here in Champaign. She is beyond impressive."

Designs

University planners presented design presentations to the board for several upcoming construction projects.

One was a design for a new parking structure on the north end of campus. Its boundaries will rest on Park Street and University Avenue, and it will include a retail level on the first floor of the structure.

The trustees were excited about the structure and especially interested by the fact that it included a section for shops, Tate said.

Also, planners gave the final design presentation for the Post Genomics Institute to the board members.

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