Historic residence halls may be history
Portland State University intends to demolish two buildings
Historic preservationists will gather in the center of the Portland State University campus Saturday at 1 p.m. for a walking tour of what we have to lose. The university intends to demolish two residence halls, and no law can stop them.
The Architectural Heritage Center has appealed to the university, the mayor and the city council to save Montgomery Court and Blackstone Hall, but because the buildings are not officially designated as historic landmarks, the appeal is toward public and political opinion rather than the courts.
Heather Flint Chatto, executive director of ACH, said PSU has no immediate plans for the sites and questions the wisdom in removing about 200 housing units in a time when the city is expensively building new housing. Although new buildings may be more energy efficient, she added, carbon impact replacing existing with new construction will negative throughout the lifespan of whatever replaces them.
