November 2, 2001
Urban Horticulture to brief public Nov. 19 on concepts, design for rebuilding
Designers with the architectural firm Miller Hull Partnership of Seattle are now considering ways to rebuild Merrill Hall, which was firebombed at the University of Washington’s Center for Urban Horticulture last May, and will explain the pre-design phase and seek comments from the neighborhood and campus community Nov. 19.
The meeting will be at 7 p.m. in the center’s Northwest Horticulture Society Hall, which was spared in the May 21 arson attack. The eco-terrorist group Earth Liberation Front claimed responsibility for the fire that burned through the center’s main building, wreaking havoc in the library and destroying or damaging years of research on ecosystem health and plant science.
The bulk of Merrill Hall was beyond saving and was razed. The section of the hall that housed the library and herbarium remains but requires extensive repairs.
Among the considerations during the pre-design phase now under way, are the possible ways to rebuild a structure of similar size and materials using $4.1 million appropriated by the state legislature and enhancements that might be possible with donations following the fire. Donations continue to be accepted for the Urban Horticulture Recovery Fund, Linda Kaye, (206) 543-9505, College of Forest Resources, Box 352100, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98195-2100.
The design is to be done by mid-2002 and the new building should open in January 2004.
The UW has spent more than $1.2 million for such things as recovering materials from the damaged hall, arranging for interim work and office space, demolition, salaries for recovery work and retrofitting an area so the library can reopen — on a small scale — by mid-December.
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For more information: Sue Nicol, outreach coordinator, (206) 543-3889
