Stop UIC (East Campus) Quad Remodeling

Stop UIC (East Campus) Quad Remodeling

The following text is quoted from the online petition to stop the UIC (East Campus) quad remodeling from taking place due to both accessibility and sustainability concerns. It goes into detail regarding the negative impacts surrounding this and how signing the petition linked below can be beneficial.

"The University of Illinois at Chicago’s (UIC) plans on remodeling the east campus quad by the end of Spring 2022 semester. While many of the features proposed will add permeability and other sustainable features, it also includes a plan for a central structure that negatively impacts campus accessibility and is not a sustainable feature. We are asking the Chancellor for a student forum before the construction of the quad begins to address our concerns further outlined in the petition. Sign on and share this petition with UIC students, staff, faculty, and community members.

Main concerns about the proposed central structure:

1. The structure would make accessibility harder for people on campus who are ambulatory but need a hard, even surface; those who are blind or have low vision; and those who are aging. The grassy space in the central structure means that the Quad would be dominated by an uneven surface that people will have to avoid, and traffic through the Quad would be pushed to the perimeter, becoming more congested and difficult to navigate. In addition, throughout the colder snowy months the accessibility issues will be heightened due to the smaller walkways proposed in the design. With ice and snow layered on the ground already making walkways harder to walk on and through, the proposed structure will make the Quad less even accessible due to the proposed smaller walkways.  These cramped passageways will create accessibility issues for those using wheels(wheelchairs, bikes, scooters, etc.) and other student and staff members that are walking through the Quad.

2. The structure would lessen cultural and social accessibility. The central structure with grass would remove an open, flexible area that has historically been our public square, serving to bring our campus community together in celebrations, mourning, protests, and other forms of cultural expression. The proposed raised walls and stage removes an open layout which will shift the way students and staff host events and interact with each other making the space lack flexibility.

3. The structure’s central grass area opposes UIC’s environmental sustainability efforts. The grass is not environmentally friendly due to its high maintenance watering requirements and use of fuel in lawn mowers. Grass is not native to the Chicago area, has a negative net value to the environment, and in general contributes to the destruction of native habitats. Similarly, faux grass leads to microplastics. As UIC strives to create a zero waste, net zero water, and biodiverse campus through their climate commitments, within our campus we should be teaching people why we should not have lawns in our own communities and we can’t achieve that through installing grass on campus. Overall, the central structure is problematic to our space.

In September 2021, students and faculty affiliated with the Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change (CCUSC) were made aware of plans to remodel the Quad. In October 2021, students delivered a letter to Chancellor Amiridis’s office and emailed the same letter with the concerns and questions students raised in regard to the central structure plan for the quad. Chancellor Amiridis did reply that he had heard our concerns and would work to make sure these are heard.

However, we have not heard back about the student forum and the specific asks that were made in the letter. We are still waiting for updates which is why we are requesting a student forum with Chancellor Amiridis and the Quad planners before moving forward with renovation plans to:

• Discuss a timeline of the planning process
• Discuss budget allocation and distribution of resources for students
• Address the three concerns outlined above;
• Understand how students, faculty, and staff have been involved in the design process and feedback collected from surveys, presentations, etc.; and
• An update on all revisions made to the Quad plan with student input.

By signing on to this form, you are helping us create a larger and more aware community to shape a space that has been of historical significance in student organizing, protests, building community, and serves as one of the most transited spaces on the UIC campus. Help us maintain this legacy for the future. By signing on to this form, you are telling UIC Chancellor Amiridis and Quad planners that we do not approve the Quad redevelopment plan with the proposed middle structure. We demand that we continue to preserve the Quad’s historical significance and ensure sustainability and accessibility."