Oliver Residence Hall has been demolished, and other campus buildings are in line for possible demolition in 2023.
Oliver Hall’s demolition was completed at the beginning of January, Laura Gagliano, project manager for Oliver Hall’s demolition, said.
The next step in the project is to install light poles and sidewalks in the area. The project is expected to be complete by the end of March with an estimated final cost of $1.3 million, Gagliano said.
“At this time, there are no plans to develop the site,” Gagliano said. “It will remain a grassy area.”
Last May, the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) placed Oliver Hall on a list of prospective demolition projects to be completed in the next three years.
Smith Hall is also on the list under a section entitled “mission critical.” The estimated cost of the building’s demolition is $650,000.
However, the decision on if Smith Hall will be kept or demolished hasn’t been finalized yet, according to Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations.
“The inclusion of Smith Hall on a list of buildings under consideration for demolition was the beginning of a longer conversation about the future of that space,” she said.
Deciding Smith Hall’s future is a part of KU’s campus master plan, Barcomb-Peterson said, which involves speaking with KU constituencies, looking into the condition of the building and assessing if the structure can be modernized.
“Once these analyses are complete, the cost of keeping versus replacing the building will be more clear,” Barcomb-Peterson said.
Along with Smith Hall, KBOR’s “mission critical” demolition projects listed the West Campus entomology research labs, as well as the Facilities Administration Building, which was demolished last summer.
