October 19, 2022

By Story by Caleb McDairmant

Photos by Erica Little

Multiple construction projects have begun across campus as part of a larger plan to reduce the size of MU’s campus. According to the MU News Bureau,  315,000 gross square feet (gsf) of space has been demolished or divested. Divestment includes selling business assets to reduce campus building operations and maintenance costs. During the Fall 2022 semester, “four additional buildings will be demolished to bring our total space reduction to 630,000 gsf,” Uriah Orland, Associate Director of MU News Bureau said.

The initiative to reduce campus size, known as the Strategic Space Reduction Plan, hopes to reduce deficient facility square footage and reallocate funds that would otherwise be used to maintain the buildings toward future spaces that improve and support student success, outreach and research, according to the website. 

To date, 12 buildings have been demolished, including Columbia Professional Building, London Hall, Noyes Hall, Parker Hall and Read Hall. Additionally, three buildings have been divested. The demolition of Read Hall was controversial as the structure served as the first dormitory open to women. Students organized protests as a result of the scheduled demolition. 

Wayne Mayfield, Associate Director of Research at the Institute of Public Policy spoke on the lack of preservation of these buildings.

“I spent a great deal of time during my graduate training as a counseling psychologist in Parker and Noyce Halls,” Mayfield said. “I know that others have expressed a regret that many historic buildings could not be preserved, but I understand that the university does not have infinite resources to engage in such endeavors.”

Administered by Campus Facilities since 1981, the master planning process is a participatory effort where “design consultants are directed to design modern buildings that reflect the character of surrounding buildings and fit contextually, often using similar building materials,” Orland said.

Under the direction of the chancellor, two committees meet regularly to help guide the master planning process — Campus Space Committee and the Facilities, Buildings and Grounds Committee.
Using the Facility Condition Needs Index, these committees and other stakeholders identify structures with a deficiency of 40 percent or more, which is the threshold that must be met before demolition or divestment is considered. Then, the university determines how to use facility maintenance allocations.

“These committees and other campus stakeholders involved in the planning process support institutional goals and objectives, while interactively planning facilities, landscape and infrastructure to achieve an all-important sense of place,” Orland said.

The university will replace these spaces with additional green space until future building needs are determined, according to Orland.

Orland said savings from demolished or divested buildings can be used to better support the academic mission.

“Renovations allow for better use of technology, more flexibility in space that encourages collaboration and classroom and research space that reflects current trends, including more efficient use of space,” Orland said.

These new greenspaces hope to “promote student health by having dedicated relaxation and wellness areas,” undergraduate Campus Space Committee member Bobby Lee said. The new additions will provide space to study, meet with peers, habitat to the animals that live on campus and provide contrast between the “beautiful brick and limestone campus” and the spaces dedicated to nature.

Edited by Emma Flannery | eflannery@themaneater.com