A historic gift of more than $425 million from Connie and Steve Ballmer was announced in March to establish The Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral health. The new digs was the former Concordia University campus in Portland that the University of Oregon (UO) purchased in June for $60.5 million, for months.
The Portland Medium has reported on this UO purchase. The University released a list of construction projects and corresponding architecture firms that will be working on them over the coming months and years:
-The former Luther Hall will be a new building for sports, journalism, communications and the Oregon Reality Lab, designed by architect TVA Architects. To be opened in fall 2024.
-The former Fine Arts Building will be a new building for architecture, designed by architect LEVER. To be opened in fall 2024.
-The former Hagan Campus Center will be a new center for student services, dining and miscellaneous campus support, designed by architect Opsis Architecture. To be opened in fall 2023.
-The former George R. White Library and Learning Center will be a new center for the Ballmer Institute, UO library and law, designed by architect SRG Partnership. To be opened fall 2023.
This is touted as a bold new approach to promote the behavioral health and wellness of children and adolescents in Oregon and beyond. UO Campus Planning & Facilities Management team has been assessing the new northeast Portland campus since the purchase.
“The purchase of our new campus, UO Portland, is one of the most important developments in the long and storied history of the University of Oregon,” President Michael H. Schill said. “In addition to housing The Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health, we anticipate UO Portland to house many other partnerships with local institutions and the community which will educate and improve the lives of young people in the city of Portland, our state and our nation.”
The buildings will not all open at once. The school said different buildings will be opening up periodically. Still, all UO Portland programs will consolidate on the new campus during the 2024 academic year. The building projects are currently going through the university naming process.
