by Lisa M. Chmiola
Staff Writer
What goes up must come down in the case of University of Houston buildings. When a new building goes up to house parts of the communication disorders and psychology departments, the South Office Annex will come tumbling down.
At Thursday's meeting, the UH System Board of Regents approved a proposal to construct a new facility for the departments, which will cost slightly over $2 million.
"We've been working on trying to find a solution for (the departments)," said Regent Kay Walker, chairwoman of the board's facilities planning and physical plant subcommittee. "They had been very cramped for space."
The facility will replace the South Office Annex, a Cullen Boulevard building constructed in the late 1940s and scheduled for demolition in summer 1998, said Jim Berry, associate vice chancellor for facilities planning and construction.
"Not much care has been given to it," Berry said. "Parts of it are closed off because it's not safe."
Berry said the building's roof and windows leak, and parts of the foundation have sunk low into the ground, leading to occasional flooding during rainstorms.
"We've always planned to tear it down as soon as we found a place for its occupants," Berry said.
Originally, the departments were slated to move into the Fouke Building, located near the Melcher and Garrison gymnasium complex on Holman Street, Berry said.
The Fouke Building was formerly occupied by the Athletics Department and built in 1948. Inspections showed the building's need for electrical service repairs and roof replacement, Berry said. "It became questionable whether the cost was worth (renovating)."
According to the summary presented to the board, renovations of the Fouke Building would cost an estimated $2.9 million.
Therefore, Berry said the planning office recommended construction of a modular building, a temporary structure brought to the site and put together on a foundation. "It's a building-blocks type of building," he explained.
Berry also said that, with a modular building, pieces can be added later or the entire structure can be moved if necessary.
Similar buildings exist on campus to house parts of the Cullen College of Engineering and the geophysical library, Berry said.
Higher Education Assistance Funds earmarked for the Fouke renovations will be used to fund the modular building, said Executive Director of Budgets Beverly Ruffin.
The departments will move into the building upon its completion in January 1998.
"The entire program in communication disorders and the speech language and hearing clinic will be moving into a portion of the new building," said Martin Adams, communication disorders department head.
However, the entire psychology department will not make the move, said department Chairman Marco Mariotto.
"The new building will house the faculty who are currently in the South Office Annex," Mariotto said. This includes the psychology clinic and clinical psychology faculty.
Students in the departments said the new building will be welcomed.
"We are excited because we have people come into the clinic from all over Houston," said Wendy Hermann, a senior communication disorders major and vice president of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association.
Jim Rebstock, a senior psychology major and president of Psi Chi, agreed, saying, "It's been needed for a long time. That poor building has seen better days."