Mike Templin, freshman computer science major, walks to Terrace Hall from class yesterday. In Spring 2005 the hall will be torn down and plans will be discussed to make a parking lot.

Credit: Andrew popik

Terrace Hall will no longer be used as a residence hall starting next fall, said David Creamer, vice president for administration.

Creamer said the decision to halt registration stems mainly from long-term plans to demolish the building, which he estimates will happen within 12 to 18 months, though no official date has been set.

Creamer said residence hall space should not be an issue during the 2005-2006 school year, but arrangements can be made to re-open Terrace if the need arises. The prospected addition of Stopher and Johnson halls in Fall 2006 should make up for any lost space.

Creamer said renovations to the building “won’t pay for themselves,” estimating that improvements to the building would cost about $175 per-square-foot versus the $105 per-square-foot-cost to build something else.

“One way or another, it’s going to come down,” Creamer said.

Thomas Euclide, director of architecture and engineering, said plans to tear down Terrace have been in the works since a building analysis in 2000 that evaluated costs of renovation versus demolition.

Euclide said one of the building’s major problems is that it does not meet needs for students with disabilities. Because of the way Terrace is structured, making it handicap-accessible would require installation of a series of elevators, and even with improvements, it would still be difficult for a person with disabilities to navigate the building.

Both Creamer and Euclide also noted maintenance issues with the building.

Sophomore Sarah Koby, who lives in Terrace, said the building feels “run-down” and “unclean” with broken hinges, wobbling doors and an excessive insect population.

“I’ve been living in Terrace for a semester-and-a-half now, and it’s at the point where it’s not unbearable, but it’s not terribly pleasant either,” Koby said. “It’s about time the building comes down.”

Because they are unable to re-register for their rooms, Terrace residents were granted a special registration deadline that allowed them to register prior to other students on campus.

Even with the demolition of the residence hall, the administration and ROTC section of the building will be left intact. Euclide said the ROTC and Human Resource Services wing is running on its own power supply and will not be torn down with the rest of the building.

Contact buildings and grounds reporter William Schertz at [email protected].