Committee weighs demolition after repeated water and heating failures; asbestos testing, individual building bids planned

At a Feb. 6 meeting, the Campus Reconfiguration Committee heard detailed reports about repeated heating failures and water damage in several campus buildings, most severely affecting the building known in the meeting as the "copper top" theater. Staff described a multi-week pattern of frozen pipes and pipe breaks that led to extensive interior water damage, collapsed ceiling tiles and a growing mold risk.

A staff member said the building had used about 100,000 gallons of water in the previous month and could reach roughly 230,000 gallons in the current month if the leaks continued; they measured an unexplained loss of approximately 2.8 gallons per minute at the meter until the building main was shut off. The staff report noted the heating system had been operating on "half a system" after a pump failure (replacement estimated at $10,000–$15,000 earlier in the transcript), and that repeated freeze-thaw cycles had produced ongoing pipe failures and significant interior moisture.

Committee members debated immediate demolition versus winterizing and waiting for developer interest. Some members argued for obtaining demolition cost estimates before making a decision; others said that much of the building’s salvageable contents are already removed and that leaving the structure in cold storage could be acceptable short-term. SEH and other consultants cautioned that new water and mold damage change earlier building-condition assessments and recommended reassessing after contractor inspections.

Josh, who the committee designated to lead the demolition work, said he has engaged consultant SCH to manage the demolition procurement, will bring in asbestos abatement teams next week to take samples, and plans to solicit separate bids for each building (with the copper-top asbestos and demolition priced as an add-on). Josh estimated a seven- to eight-month timeframe to complete utility shutoffs, asbestos abatement, demolition and site clearing to finished grade, while noting that including the large copper-top theater would significantly increase costs.

The committee asked staff to obtain price estimates for demolition and to evaluate safety and mold risks before deciding. Staff said they will coordinate utility shutoffs with the city, share utility mapping with contractors, and open bids with subsequent reputational checks rather than a prequalification step before bid opening.

Next steps: asbestos sampling and contractor site walks will occur in the coming days; staff will obtain separate demolition bids per building, track copper-top costs separately as an add-on, and report back with cost estimates and updated condition assessments at a future meeting. The committee adjourned until March 4 at 4:00 p.m.