Revlon study will be part of larger review

All projects to be evaluated After more than four years of planning, the Revlon Center is headed back to the drawing board. University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow announced at Wednesday's University Council meeting that plans for the center are going to be completely re-examined. But Chodorow said yesterday that he does not feel the move is a huge setback for the center, which was originally proposed in 1990 and set to be completed by 1996. "If you look at the progress of the project, it was in the early stages," he said. "It had a long way to go." Executive Assistant to the Provost Linda Koons said Chodorow is reviewing all capital projects, not just the Revlon Center. The review includes the renovations to Logan Hall, College Hall and Houston Hall, she added. "You can't make a decision about one building without it affecting other buildings," Koons said. Chodorow explained that he and Rodin are looking at every project they inherited from the interim administration of Claire Fagin and Marvin Lazerson. All of the projects are in various stages of development, he added. The decision to re-evaluate Revlon specifically, Chodorow said, came after he and Rodin began examining the projects and discovered that "everything you touch affects something else." He added that they are also facing a problem of incomplete funding. "We haven't identified where we would get the funding for several projects yet, including Revlon," he said, adding that he does not want to compromise the quality of the center just to make it fit into a budget. "Is it worth building a structure smaller than you want because of lack of funding?" he asked. "It is my view that what we need to do in the long run is a comprehensive approach to student facilities so we create adequate central facilities for students to use," Chodorow said. Acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum said the project is being deferred so that Chodorow and Rodin can look at the big picture. McCoullum was a key player on Lazerson's team to move the project ahead last year. Lazerson had chosen a final plan for the center, which would have cost $40 million and consisted of two buildings with a freestanding bookstore and black box theater. Lazerson could not be reached for comment yesterday. McCoullum said the new administration is developing a "comprehensive master plan for campus facilities and programming." And the student center is taking on the added dimension of a campus center, she added. "Revlon will become a piece of a much, much larger picture," she said. Chodorow was not able to confirm whether the designated site of 36th and Walnut streets would remain the location for the Center. "I don't know," he said. "I am not ready to say what is going to come out of the process." He said that the parking garage and chiller plant built at 38th and Walnut streets over the summer -- which were constructed with the Revlon Center in mind -- are not wasted investments. Chodorow said the chiller plant -- which was slated to service the Revlon Center -- provides the University with the capacity for constructing additional buildings on the campus besides the student center. "And we can always use the parking," Chodorow said. The anticipated delays to the Revlon Center only exacerbate the growing problem of the lack of performing arts space on campus, many students say. Revlon Center plans had space set aside for students to use for club meetings and rehearsals. McCoullum said Chodorow is an ardent supporter of the University's performing arts groups. "He is really supportive of the student performing arts groups," she said. "They are one of his top priorities." Chodorow said he has a group looking for temporary space for the performing arts community. But he added that "you don't want to put any serious money into something that is temporary." Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson Dan Debicella said he feels very strongly that the Center is an essential addition to the University. "While financial issues are a concern, I don't think they should be the end of the dream of a campus center," the Wharton junior said. He said he was very disturbed by Chodorow's announcement at Wednesday's Council meeting. "It sounded like they were very skeptical, and that worried me," Debicella said. "I hope they know that this is something that students really want."