The university will relocate an approximately 200-year-old burr oak tree to make room for the Stephen M. Ross School of Business expansion.

The 65-foot-tall tree stands next to the Computer and Executive Education Building, which will be demolished for the Ross School expansion. A new, larger building that will connect to existing buildings will be constructed on that site on the north side of the Ross School complex.

Relocating the large burr oak tree is part of the $135 million, donor-funded Ross School project, which was approved by the U-M Board of Regents in February. The schematic design was approved April 17.

University officials have consulted with experts at moving large trees and believe the tree can be relocated successfully. Burr oaks are known to live up to 400 years.

“Based on extensive conversations with companies that specialize in relocating large trees, we believe this move can be successful,” said Sue Gott, university planner.  “There are no guarantees when moving trees of this age and size, but experts have cited several examples where this has been done successfully.”

There are only a few firms in the country capable of moving such a large tree.

Gott added, “We will do everything within reason to make this a successful move and maximize the life of this tree after it has been moved.”

The tree would be moved in late fall to a location along Tappan Avenue, near the entrance to the Ross School of Business Building.

Preparation work for the big move will begin immediately. Some of those pre-move activities include:

• Exploratory digging to establish the root-ball size.

• Root pruning to encourage new root growth within the root ball.

• Supplemental watering and fertilization.

• Selective pruning to ensure structure and weight balance.

This tree is one of a handful of older burr oaks on Central Campus. Others can be found near the Clements Library, Hatcher Library and Barbour Residence Hall sites. 

University officials estimate the cost of the project to be approximately $300,000-$400,000. The cost for relocating the tree is part of the project costs for the Ross School expansion. Funding for the project is from Steven M. Ross’ lead gift of $100 million and additional gifts.

The university also will take extraordinary measures to protect another large burr oak in the Ross School courtyard during construction.

This spring, the university was recognized as a 2013 Tree Campus USA for the sixth consecutive year. With more than 16,000 trees on the maintained landscapes on campus, the Plant Building and Grounds Services crews plant an approximate 100 trees per year to maintain the campus forestry.

Tree Campus USA was launched in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota. This national program promotes environmental stewardship and the contributions made to make a healthier, more sustainable world.