Date:
1/20/2011
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 575.562.2253
PORTALES--Today in Santa Fe, the Eastern New Mexico University Board of Regents approved demolishing three older, unoccupied buildings on the Portales campus, and removing asbestos-containing materials in the ceiling of Greyhound Arena and replacing the ceiling. The estimated cost for all four projects is $5.9 million.
The projects are subject to the approval of the New Mexico Higher Education Department.
Being razed are Lincoln Hall, a seven-story dormitory built in 1965; DeBaca Hall, a three-story dormitory built in 1962; and Chaves Hall, a three-story dormitory built in 1955.
Razing of Lincoln Hall, 98,289 square feet, will begin in late spring with asbestos abatement. It will take two to three months to bring down and clear the debris, with an estimated cost of $1.7 million, according to Scott Smart, vice president for Business Affairs.
In its place an approximately $12 million, two- or three-story residence hall will be constructed, with an anticipated opening in August of 2012. Rooms will have two beds, with each two rooms sharing a bathroom. It will accommodate approximately 360 students, most of whom will be freshmen formerly housed in Bernalillo Hall.
Bernalillo Hall, a seven-story dormitory, will be closed at the time the new residence hall is opened.
Asbestos removal in DeBaca Hall, 63,030 square feet, will begin in late July or mid-August. The total estimated cost for demolition and removal is $1.2 million, and will take one-and-half to two-and-a-half months.
Asbestos removal in Chaves Hall, 38,556 square feet, will begin in mid-August or early-September. The total cost for demolition and removal is estimated to be $500,000, and will take one to one-and-a-half months.
According to Ted Fares, director of the ENMU Physical Plant, green spaces will replace DeBaca Hall and Chaves Hall.
The estimated cost of the Greyhound Arena ceiling project is $2.5 million, and will begin in May and take approximately three months.
“We are excited about these projects,” said Steven Gamble, ENMU president. “The new residence hall will be a great boon for our growing enrollment and students who want to enjoy the advantages of living on campus. It will be a first-class facility. In addition, the demolition of old, unused buildings and the resulting green spaces will further beautify a campus that is already considered one of the most attractive in New Mexico. We are eager to get these projects underway.”
Gamble said that the projects will be financed through funds available from a retiring bond that the University has been paying off at $300,000 per year, and the normal room rates paid by the occupants of the new residence hall.
For more information about this story, contact: Dr. Steven Gamble, ENMU president, at 575-760-5420.