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CORVALLIS - The renovation of Weatherford Hall, which has been closed since 1994, will continue next week with the removal Tuesday and Wednesday of several large elm trees northeast of the residence hall's signature archway.

This area will be re-landscaped to "complement the original grandeur of Weatherford," built in 1928, according to Tom Scheuermann, director of OSU's University Housing and Dining Services.

The removal of these selected trees is necessary, campus officials say, because their long-term viability cannot be guaranteed and they may pose a safety risk to passersby. Their age and type make them more susceptible to Dutch elm disease, and their inclusion in the renovation plans would have placed them at further risk. "After careful evaluation, the landscape architect and an OSU arborist agree that it is the right decision," Scheuermann said.

Weatherford is undergoing a $17.5 million renovation to create a residential college for the new Austin Entrepreneurial Program, scheduled to open in the fall of 2004.

The American elm trees in front of Weatherford were planted in the early 1930s when they were quite small, Scheuermann said. Landscaping plans for a renovated Weatherford call for the planting of fast-growing, Accolade elm trees that are not susceptible to Dutch elm disease. The trees will be about 15 feet tall when planted, and grow rapidly to a height of 30 to 35 feet within 10 years.

Ten of the Accolade elms will be planted in place of the eight trees being removed from that portion of the site.

"We think the new design and the Accolade elms will match and even exceed the beauty of the original building and elms," Scheuermann said.

The landscape architectural plan and an artist's rendering of the revitalized site will be posted near the project sign and can be viewed from the sidewalk adjacent to the Weatherford site beginning Wednesday.