EUGENE, Ore. -- (May 2, 2011) -- University of Oregon President Richard Lariviere
announced today that he has asked developer Trammell Crow Company to examine a
second parcel in the Riverfront Research Park as a possible location for the
proposed Oregon Research Institute (ORI) and Educational Policy Improvement
Center (EPIC) building.

Under
Lariviere's recommendation, the parties involved in the development would
continue planning for the existing site at 855 Riverfront Parkway while
simultaneously examining the feasibility of moving the ORI/EPIC project to the 1700
Millrace Drive location.

The 1700 Millrace Drive site is available
because of a recent decision made by University of Oregon leadership to
temporarily forego construction of an additional building within the park until
after a new comprehensive master plan for the Riverfront Research Park has been
completed. Initial UO plans had called for developing a new building for ORI
and EPIC on the site at 855 Riverfront Parkway, a former EWEB pole yard north
of the railroad tracks, in addition to another multi-tenant research building
on the vacant parcel at 1700 Millrace Drive south of the railroad tracks.

"The decision to postpone development
of another new building within the research park allows us to re-examine the
best location for the ORI/EPIC building," Lariviere said. "By
exploring the feasibility of the 1700 Millrace Drive site, I am confident that
we will arrive at the best possible outcome for everyone involved," he
said.

"The
UO remains committed to assuring that Trammell Crow, ORI and EPIC can develop
an outstanding research facility," said Rich Linton, vice president for
research and graduate studies at the UO. "If the 1700 Millrace site proves
feasible, it will provide a desirable location for housing major research
programs at ORI and EPIC that support hundreds of jobs in this community,"
he said.

"Beyond
this project, the university will launch a master planning process to help
address future facilities needs for UO's expanding role in catalyzing innovation
and its ties to economic development," Linton added.

For
the past two years, Trammell Crow Company has been working to redevelop a former brownfield site
near the Eugene Water and Electric Board facility, adjacent to the Willamette
River and north of the railroad tracks. The 80,000-square-foot LEED Gold
building planned for the parcel would house the Oregon Research Institute and the
Educational Policy Improvement Center.
The site and building have been designed and the City of Eugene has issued a
Phase I building permit for the project.

"The
primary concern for the Trammell Crow Company is to construct a high-quality,
energy-efficient facility that meets the needs of ORI and EPIC and enhances
Eugene's built environment. While we remain fully committed to moving forward
at the former EWEB pole yard, we are willing to simultaneously explore the
feasibility of the Millrace Drive site," said Trammell Crow representative
Steve Wells.

"We look forward to working with
Trammell Crow and the university as they determine the feasibility of the new
site," said Cynthia Guinn, executive director at Oregon Research
Institute.

About the
University of Oregon

The University of Oregon is among the 108 institutions chosen from 4,633 U.S. universities for
top-tier designation of "Very High Research Activity" in the 2010 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The UO also is one of two Pacific Northwest members of the Association of American Universities.

MEDIA CONTACT: Phil Weiler, UO Office of Communications, 541-346-3873, pweiler@uoregon.edu

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