Oregon unveils drawings of Knight science campus; groundbreaking set for February

EUGENE, Ore. - The University of Oregon unveiled architectural renderings of the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact on Friday.

The $1 billion initiative is buoyed by a $500 million gift from Penny and Phil Knight.

Knight graduated Oregon in 1959. He went on to found Nike.

“Penny and I are thrilled with the progress that is being made with this new campus,” Knight said in a statement. “We have high hopes that these buildings and the people inside them will do great things for our university and the state.”

Groundbreaking on the first phase of the project is scheduled for early February.

The $225 million, 160,000-square-foot building will be built along the north side of Franklin Boulevard between Onyx Street and Riverfront Parkway.

The building is scheduled to open to students and staff by 2020.

The glass-and-steel building will include a skybridge over Franklin Boulevard connecting to other research facilities on the Oregon campus.

The bridge "creates a stunning gateway corridor between Eugene and Springfield," the University said in a statement. "The north side of the Knight Campus transforms a section of the Eugene millrace from a relic of industry to an inspiring outdoor space."