The first few weeks of the new semester were abuzz with rumors and questions surrounding the demolition of Forrer Hall. Some say good riddance to the outdated living and dining building, while others are sad to see their old dorm rooms destroyed right before their eyes. While the first-years this year never got a chance to experience Forrer Hall dorm life for themselves, they still made connections to it through daily trips to the cafeteria.
The demolition of Forrer has been a wide-spread topic of conversation on campus since students returned from winter break. Many were surprised to see the old building still standing after the three week break from campus since demolition began on December 17th, a few days after the end of finals week.
With the demolition beginning over a month ago, many students believed that Forrer would be long gone by the time classes began again. What they didn’t realize was how long and complicated the demolition process actually is. After interviewing Marc Matthews, Vice President for Finance and Business, and Darrell Banks, Associate Vice President and University Construction Manager, many of the questions student have been asking can be answered.
Both Banks and Matthews have shed some light on just how difficult the demolition process is. A major portion of winter break was taken up by the interior demolition of Forrer, and transferring the necessary kitchen utilities from the old Caf into the Raf. The demolition team also spends time watering down the rubble in order to prevent any airborne health risks Forrer might pose. Marc Matthews reassures students that this is just procedure and Forrer’s demolition did not need any special circumstance.
With this said, the questions surrounding whether Forrer’s demolition is on schedule or not can be put to rest. The original timeline of opening for the fall 2020 semester is still on track according to Matthews.
“There is significant interior demolition that is not visible to the passerbyer [sic]. This demolition did begin on schedule, December 17. We are on schedule for full demo by the end of February,” said Matthews.
With this being such a large project, no one can be sure what could cause a potential delay down the road. However, Trany’s team of construction overseers have assured everyone that they have taken every measure to avoid problems. “During construction of this magnitude there can be any number of unknowns that could cause delays. We have performed extensive testing (geotechnical, asbestos, utilities, etc) all in an effort to prevent unknown delays,” Says Banks.
Banks also says to keep a look out for construction updates once the building up process has begun. The new campus center will have multiple places for students to study, socialize, and dine both indoors and outdoors.
For more information and concept photos of the new campus center, visit http://www.transy.edu/campus-center/.
