Thousands of University of Oregon students are returning to campus this week in advance of the fall term. But one of the school’s newest residence halls will remain closed for structural repairs.
Kalapuya Ilihi Hall first opened in 2017. The university temporarily shut it down in July of last year, following the discovery of cracks in the walls.
Last week, the university’s Board of Trustees approved nearly $16.5 million for an ongoing repair project at the site.
Meanwhile, the school is seeking $10 million in damages from partners involved in the building's development.
“The issue that we've run into relates to some pretty complicated technical calculations that our team is not responsible for, that we hire experts who are responsible for," UO Senior Vice President Jamie Moffitt told trustees.
University officials said the goal is to have repairs completed on Kalapuya Hall this spring, so students can move in next fall.
Once that's finished, officials said they'll be able to move forward with the plan to demolish the aging Hamilton Hall, and replace it with a new outdoor social area.
