Lease gives UO more space in Portland.

Byline: Greg Bolt The Register-Guard

The University of Oregon has signed a lease for the historic White Stag building in Portland's Old Town district and plans to move into the building after renovations are complete in January 2008.

The deal will give the UO 66,000 square feet in the downtown building and portions of two other historic buildings on the same block. That will boost by more than 50 percent the amount of space the university now has at its Portland Center building at Northwest Second Avenue and Yamhill Street and give the UO a prominent location near the waterfront.

"This is going to be a really good, historically appropriate renovation of a really landmark building," UO Provost John Moseley said. "These are buildings that, while they don't look like they're in great shape now, really have a lot of quality and character in them."

Plans for the new center call for six classrooms, event space for up to 250 people, a satellite library for the journalism and architecture programs, a computer lab and office space for 75 to 100 employees, including the AHA International study abroad program. It also will have a new Duck Shop bookstore and gift shop with a cafe.

The UO offers journalism, architecture, education and law programs in Portland, along with personal development and distance education courses. It also has offices for athletics, alumni relations and fundraising.

A recent endowment gift of $9.2 million allowed the university to establish a new George S. Turnbull Portland Center, offering expanded journalism and communications programs. But because of cramped quarters in the existing building the center will be limited in what it can offer until the new building is ready.

The $30 million renovation project will be handled by Venerable Properties, the development company that owns the block through White Stag Group LLC. The three buildings will be developed as a single space but with each keeping its singular exterior, said Art DeMuro, president of Venerable.

The university will lease the space for $15.45 a square foot plus building operation costs. "Anybody who is familiar with space costs in Portland will recognize that as a quite good deal," Moseley said.

One question yet to be answered is the fate of the landmark neon sign atop the building, which once read "White Stag" but now says "Made In Oregon." Originally an advertisement for White Satin Sugar, the sign still sports the leaping stag added in 1959 that gets a red nose every Christmas.

Moseley acknowledged that the university would like to have control of the sign but said that is not part of the deal. Whether the UO can acquire rights to it and what the university would do then is up in the air for now, although the sign's historic status would limit the options.

Also undecided is what will happen to the university's existing building, although the Duck Shop at that location will remain.