Oregon Public Broadcasting

The most expensive on-campus college basketball arena ever planned – is on track to be built. The University of Oregon’s 12,000-seat Matthew Knight Arena cleared what could be its final legal hurdle Friday. Ethan Lindsey reports.

The state Land Use Board of Appeals rejected the last remaining challenge to the arena’s construction.

Two local residents had appealed the city’s decision to eliminate two side streets in order to build the arena.

In his complaint, Jonathan Bowers, a university student, claimed the construction of a new arena wasn’t in the "public interest".

He says if the new arena is built, the current one – Mac Court – will be torn down.

Jonathan Bowers: “When you have something like MacArthur Court, that has such historic value in this state. That’s not something that you want to disregard. And then you have a law firm representing the University stating that the explicit use, once we obtain this property, is to build a basketball arena. Well, you have reconcile that.”

The state land use board sidestepped Bowers’ argument. It said it would not consider any “secondary effects”, like the destruction of Mac Court.

Bowers says he is considering taking the case to the Court of Appeals.

But the university is confident enough to have set up a web site ticking down the days until the planned opening.

690 days and counting.