This article was edited with corrections on Nov. 7, 2011.
The Loyola community has said its final goodbyes to “Ollie Oak,” a 100-year-old live oak tree that has been a part of the university since before it received its charter.
The live oak tree was located at the corner of Loyola Street alongside Monroe Hall. The tree was cut down on Monday, Oct. 17 to accommodate the building’s upcoming expansion, which is scheduled to begin May 2012.
“The footprint of Monroe Hall is being expanded, and the building is being extended and two floors will be added to accommodate the programming needs of the university,” said Meredith Hartley, director of Public Affairs and External Relations, in an email.
According to Hartley, aside from the expansion and additional two floors, a new stairwell, bathrooms and mechanical storage space will be built in the area where the tree once stood.
Hartley also said through email that the Monroe Hall renovations committee explored every other option for expansion.
Due to Monroe Hall’s location, the only other option for expansion was toward the Monroe Quad. This option required the removal of four trees instead of one and loss of campus green space.
After weighing their options, the committee decided that removing the Loyola Street live oak was the “most feasible solution,” Hartley said. The decision was made this May.
David White, biology professor and botanist who also sits on the university’s landscaping committee, has been concerned about the building’s surrounding greenery and spent the summer exploring the option to relocate the tree.
According to White, if the tree were relocated rather than cut, it would require the street to be excavated in order to successfully retrieve the roots.
White also said that even without budget concerns, the limited green space of the campus didn’t offer any alternative locations. Further, relocating it outside the university is virtually impossible due to the surrounding tree branches from other trees, power lines and narrow streets.
Building around the tree was also not an option because of its proximity to Monroe Hall. According to White, there isn’t enough space between the tree and the building for construction to take place.
“I’ve come to a very rational understanding,” White said. “As much as I don’t want to see anything of that size disappear, it’s got to come down.”
White wasn’t the only faculty member to regret seeing “Ollie Oak” go. Kathy Anzelmo, biology instructor, said she will miss seeing the tree from her office window.
“I just would like to express my personal sorrow at its removal and also my gratitude for all the many years of beauty that this tree has given me,” Anzelmo said.
Geenah Acevedo can be reached at [email protected]
A bicyclist rides in front of the live oak tree that once stood next to Monroe Hall. Some members of the Loyola community preferred that the university did not remove the tree. (WADNER PIERRE/SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
