In September, the white cement U overlooking the valley became the U in USA. The letter still bears the purple traces of a vandal’s attack years ago. A sorority came and dumped flour in the shape of their Greek letters in the middle of the U.
From far away, the Block U is a symbol of the state’s flagship university?up close, it is an eyesore, according to Liz Stringham, who lives nearby.
The University of Utah is not doing its job maintaining the concrete symbol, she said. Stringham is a resident of Federal Pointe, the young neighborhood near the Block U.
The land around the Block U belongs to the Federal Pointe Homeowners Association. The university leases the land under the condition that it will care for the area.
But the university has not kept its part of the bargain, she said.
“It’s sliding down the hill, it’s covered with weeds, it’s got purple paint on it from a few years ago,” said Stringham, who lives directly south and a little east of the Block U. “We’re the ones monitoring the [Block] U, and we feel like we get no support.”
Randy Turpin, associate vice president for facilities management, said maintenance has been “hit or miss.” In the past, groups on campus have assumed the responsibility.
But right now, no entity on campus has primary responsibility for maintaining the Block U, he said.
Prompted by neighbor complaints, Marianne Woolsey, an Alumni Association Chapter and event coordinator, is organizing a volunteer project to clean up the Block U. This should take place within a couple of weeks.
The association is charged with the Block U’s lighting system and has taken a limited role in its maintenance?mostly providing paint for students who wanted to whitewash it, according to John Ashton, the alumni association’s executive director.
The neighbors aren’t objecting to the Block U’s presence, Stringham said. But in its current state, not only is the Block U unsightly, it may be a safety hazard.
An engineering assessment conducted in 1997 cautioned that the concrete slabs might not remain stuck to the side of the hill during an earthquake. It recommended adding anchors to stabilize it and a drainage system to reduce erosion of rocks and debris that neighbors complain clutters the walkway to the south.
After the assessment, the university began a fundraising campaign to refurbish the Block U and replace its lighting system?an undertaking which would cost $300,000.
However, donations never matched the price tag.
The neighbors have a legitimate interest in making sure it’s maintained and not an eyesore, Ashton said.
The Federal Pointe neighborhood built up during the last decade, according to Stringham. Before the neighbors moved in, vandalism and other mischief around the Block U did not generate as much attention.