Kline demolition project moving forward

Blair Brennan, CSC facilities coordinator, said equipment from demolition contractor ESA should begin arriving on campus within the coming week allowing the project to commence as weather allows this spring. Brennan said the demolition’s exact start date is yet to be determined.

The demolition, which was originally scheduled to occur in fall 2010, was delayed when asbestos was discovered in the building after the contract to ESA was awarded. Horsley Specialties of Rapid City, S.D., completed the asbestos abatement Feb. 15. With that, CSC officials say the project’s final hurdle has been cleared prior to demolition.

Kline Center personnel moved to other locations on campus during the spring and summer of 2010. The building, which was most recently used to house a variety of college support services, originally served as the institution’s student center when constructed in the 1960s. It has long been deemed by college officials to be inefficient, with its large glass windows and open construction. Settling problems prompted half of the building to be demolished before the new Student Center and Lindeken Clock Tower was erected in the early 1990s.

College officials expect to save tens of thousands of dollars each year on utilities and maintenance from the building’s removal.