The halls of South Graham will be silent at the end of the fall 2003 semester as Residential Life prepares to demolish the building.
Debora Baker, Residential Life Director, said Graham Hall will be demolished in June 2004.
“Graham is the only building to be torn down,” Baker said. “Other buildings are going to be renovated.”
Baker said the Housing Master Plan, which is part of the University Master Plan, recommended that Graham be demolished because the cost of renovating it would be as costly as constructing a new building.
The Housing Master Plan is a 15-year plan to renovate and reconstruct campus residence halls.
“South Graham was always intended to be closed this year,” Baker said.
Baker said the resident hall is only open this semester because there was an overflow of students living on campus.
Residents who submitted late applications were housed in South Graham.
The resident hall is currently being used to hold temporary residents, Baker said. The residents are being moved when space becomes available in other resident halls.
Only 50 students reside in South Graham, said Shaquana Anderson, Residential Life Coordinator for Graham Hall and the Pentagon. The other students have been placed in other resident halls.
Two female floors and one male floor were occupied at the beginning of the semester, Anderson said.
Baker said the Informational Technology Residential College, which is located in South Graham Hall, will be moved to Broussard Hall.
She also said the move will decrease the size of the residential college.
South Graham uses 180 of its 360 spaces for the residential college, Baker said. Broussard will only have 169 spaces available.
When the I.T. Residential College is moved to the residential complex, it will have 200 available spaces, Baker said.
According to the Housing Master Plan, a new residential college complex will be built on Graham’s site.
The complex will have three new residential colleges, Baker said. The International Studies program possibly could occupy one of the new residential colleges.
Baker said South Graham will close before North Graham because the University no longer needs the building.
She also said West Campus Apartments have the same amount of space provided by South Graham.
“It made no sense to keep it opened,” Baker said.
Baker also said North Graham will stay open next semester because it is in better condition than South Graham.
Anderson said North Graham will close at the end of the spring 2004 semester.
Mimi LaValle, Residential Life Communications Director, said the architecture firm of Handbury, Evans, Wright and Vlattas recommended the demolition of Graham Hall after assessing all residence halls on campus.
LaValle said Graham’s condition made it more feasible for demolition.
The University anticipates spending an estimated $270 million during the next 15 years for renovations and reconstruction done on campus dorms.
Baker said Graham was chosen because building renovation would cost too much.
Renovations for Graham Hall could be as much as 88 percent of the total price for constructing a new residence hall building, Baker said.
“Even at 88 percent or 75 percent …, you still aren’t getting what you want for students,” Baker said.
Baker said the new residential complex will hold 500 beds – 200 less then the capacity of Graham Hall. She said even though a primary design has yet to be selected, the new buildings will have suite-style rooms.
LaValle said the new buildings will have semi-private bathrooms, which will be shared among two or four students. She said students should expect a 10 percent price increase for any newly constructed residence hall.
Price rates for the new residential complex have yet to be decided, LaValle said. Chancellor Mark Emmertt will have the final say.
She said The Housing Master Plan also calls for renovations to Kirby-Smith Hall and Blake Hall.