The Communique

Issue date: 10/27/05 Section: News

Construction crews tear apart the floor of Building Seven during the first weekend of demolition.

Over the course of last weekend, demolition crews began tearing down two buildings on the east section of Kirkwood's Cedar Rapids campus. Buildings Four and Seven were slated for demolition - the first phase in a series of projects that will create an additional parking lot.

Phasing out the remaining buildings will be completed in either 2007 or 2008 said Tom Kaldenberg, Kirkwood's director of facilities.

The east campus buildings currently facilitate continuing education classes. The tentative plan, Kaldenberg said, is to "replace those buildings with a new continuing education building."

The facilities were first constructed in 1966 and were the original centerpiece of the college.

Kaldenberg said the buildings have a 15-year life expectancy and maintaining the two-classroom structures has become unfeasible.

The classroom space that will be lost was compensated for at the end of this summer when Benton Hall was completed.

Eight additional classrooms were added in that project, along with the new bookstore and the c-store.

Demolition work ceases this weekend after both buildings are torn down.
Kaldenberg stated that parking east of Benton Hall will not be available this weekend because the contractors will be running a lot of heavy equipment.

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