The demolition of Forrer Hall is quickly coming to an end and on track according to the original schedule, said to Marc Mathews, Vice President for Finance and Business. He answered a few more questions about the progression of the project.
One rumor circling campus is that the demolition was delayed due to a demolition permit being filed incorrectly. Mathews said that there was, in fact, a delay after the final walk through. “On the final walk through, which took place in late December, the inspector found some additional minor amount of asbestos piping that had not been removed. We had to get the asbestos abatement contractor back in to do this work. With the holidays, that took about a week. So the demo[lition] permit was delayed about a week. That being said, the contractor made it up and we are on schedule for the building to be completely down this week, as you can see with your own eyes” said Mathews.
Asbestos is a material that was used in buildings for insulation, flooring and roofing in the past, but is now no longer used. If material containing asbestos is damaged, it can release a fine dust that contains asbestos fibres which when breathed in, can enter the lungs and gradually damage them over time. If your home was built before 1990 there could be a chance that asbestos was used somewhere in its formation, but there is no need to panic as you can have an investigation carried out to give you peace of mind. You can also look into day to day measures that can be taken to reduce the potential damage caused by it, for example, take a look at what air filters can do in the fight against asbestos. You might be surprised by their effectiveness. If you have suspicions about asbestos in a property you own, then contacting a specialist demolition service Brisbane, or wherever you are, with an understanding of asbestos is essential.
Mathews explained the steps that will be taken after the demolition is completed. The next step will be to “clear the lot and begin working on digging out the footprint for the new building,” said Mathews. It may seem like as soon as the lot is clear, the new building will start being constructed. However, Mathews says that the building process will not start at least until the summer or maybe even fall.
Mathews also mentioned the exterior remodeling process that will be done to the existing campus center building to make room for the new location of the book store. The bookstore will be located in the campus center, where Conference Room A is now.
With all of the construction and remodeling happening, many are questioning how such a small private university was able to come up with the funds for this $30 million project. Mathews explained, “It is being funded two-thirds by donations and one-third by long term debt (borrowing).”
As for the new campus dining facilities, Mathews said that “[a]ll of the same food stations/types will be offered. We will have some improved equipment that will allow offering different items, such as a Mongolian grill. There will be separation between the stations and a much larger serving area than in the prior caf.”
With the demolition portion of the project almost completed, make sure to walk over and say some final goodbyes to Forrer Hall.
