This emergency/quick purchase was required due to a situation in which immediate repairs were needed to prevent further loss or damage to University property.

On August 3, 2020, we were advised Johnson Lasky Kindelin Architects field team that a number of unsafe conditions were observed during their work evaluating the building envelope of the College of Medicine East Tower (Building 910), located at 808 S. Wood Street. The work was being done as part of a campus initiative to inspect structures over 80 feet tall. On August 4, the consultant was requested to work with their contractor, Berglund Construction, who was already providing scaffolding for access to the building exterior, to budget two approaches to solving the problem. The first would be to provide protection for pedestrians and others in the area from falling debris and a temporary stabilization of the façade. We would expect the temporary repair to last approximately five years. The second would be to, as before, protect the area and any people near it, but to provide a more permanent repair. Because of budgetary constraints, we will be stabilizing the building envelope on a temporary basis, as anticipated in the proposal, and do more permanent repairs using the RFQ and competitive bid process in the future. The building continues to exhibit displaced and loose masonry, including some sizable stone elements that, if left in its current condition, will continue to deteriorate over time, increasing the instability of the structure. This emergency purchase is necessary to maintain operations and ongoing laboratory research to protect university property, students, and staff, and prevent further damage to the structure, building systems and the general public.