The University of Massachusetts in Amherst is planning to demolish a four-story academic and administrative building, a report by the Greenfield Recorder says. The aging brick building will be replaced with a parking lot.
The building was originally built in 1960 for student housing but has since been the site of many issues, including possible mold and basement flooding. University officials say they feel the building is not worth reinvesting in when there are more historic buildings on campus.
Currently, the building houses counseling services, which will be relocated to two different locations on campus, Bartlett Hall and New Africa House. According to the report, the demolition will begin in the coming weeks.
A parking lot is planned in the short term, the report says, since several new buildings have been constructed in former parking lots and parking is at a premium. Possibly, a new academic building may take its place in the future.