| October 2, 2019 | Juan Ibarra | editor-in-chief |
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A few weeks after the announcement of TCC’s possible plan to demolish the South Campus Rotunda, students and faculty have some opinions on the news.
After 46 years, consistent issues with the air conditioning and heating, water damage and the antiquated layout of the building have led to the structure no longer being necessary, according to chief operating officer Susan Alanis.
The plan is to demolish the Rotunda and instead of building a new facility, an outdoor grass area will replace it. Any classes taking place inside the Rotunda would be moved to other buildings.
Alanis said the challenging condition of the building is clear to most people and there hasn’t been much debate on the topic.
“It has definitely reached the end of its useful life,” Alanis said. “There also seems to be broad consensus that the building is not conducive to the types of classroom spaces that serve students and faculty well.”
Although most agree, there are students like South student Dustin Torres who don’t think there’s a point in the major change.
“This is kind of pointless,” Torres said. “The building has a purpose and you’re just taking it away for nothing in return.”
Torres said he has reservations about the plan, and wonders how the school envisions fitting all the students into the remaining buildings.
“Wouldn’t that cause more problems?” Torres asked.
Infrastructure services tech Terry Keys said he feels good about these plans and based on the conditions of the building, it’s about time.
“It is time to move forward,” Keys said.
The Rotunda has been used for classes, meetings and some events in the past and South student Caroline Ocampo said she thinks it is a useful space that contributes to the school.
The plans for arranging new spaces for classrooms has already begun according to South President Peter Jordan.
“We have effectively taken classrooms in the South Campus Rotunda out of our inventory of classrooms beginning Spring 2020,” Jordan said.
Rooms specific to the Rotunda are planned to move elsewhere with Jordan specifically confirming the Lactation Room will also find a new location.
“We anticipate that the new lactation quarters will be ready when this building is taken out of circulation in the spring,” he said.
South library manager Regina Moore said she has always heard about the Rotunda having issues and that it is probably best to tear it down
However, she personally didn’t have any strong feelings on the issue.
“I thought it was fine, but I don’t work in that building,” Moore said. “I took classes in that building years ago, and other than that we have meetings in the auditorium.”
Moore said there is already a new location for the staff meetings which would instead probably be held in the Center of Excellence, Energy and Technology.
Although major changes are happening across the TCC district due to the upcoming bond election, the funds raised for the Rotunda demolition will come from a separate source.
“The demolition will be cash funded from annual resources allocated to the Real Estate and Facilities team,” Alanis said.
If the plan goes forward, the Rotunda will cease being used in the spring and will be demolished in the summer of 2020.
