PULLMAN Workers are expected to begin demolition on Dec. 19 of the WSU Administration Annex Building on Library Road just north of Abelson Hall. Weather permitting, the removal of the 18,300-square-foot, three-story campus structure should be completed by Jan. 9.
Kirk Pawlowski, executive director, WSU Capital Planning and Development, said the area will be transformed into open green space, preserving the site indefinitely to meet the university’s future construction needs.
While the century-old building has a proud history as the first site of the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine, the last 70 years have not been kind to the aging structure, Pawlowski said. Recent engineering reviews have concluded that significant costs related primarily to replacing the building’s roof structure, 30-year-old partial air conditioning system, 1940s-era steam heating system, out-of-date plumbing and sewer systems, and inadequate fire alarm and sprinkler systems, as well as removing multiple contaminants including mold and asbestos, make cost-efficient operation of the existing structure prohibitive.
A review required by the Washington Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation this year, independently determined that multiple renovations of the structure since the early 1940s had destroyed the historical authenticity of the building, resulting in a finding that it was no longer a historically significant structure.
“The capital costs associated with rehabilitating the building or returning it to its historic condition after so many years of declining use, particularly in these times of budget austerity, would be extremely difficult to justify” said Pawlowski.
Provost and former Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine Warwick Bayly said preserving the building site as open campus space will nonetheless provide an opportunity to create a fitting permanent memorial to the former home of the college and its graduates that will be compatible with any future development of the site.
“While the Veterinary College has not used the building for many decades, its history is meaningful to alumni, faculty and students, and we intend to commemorate that in an appropriate manner,” said Bayly. “It is important for all of us to remember the humble beginnings of this world-class program and our current state-of-the-art facilities, and to relish how far we have come.”
Built in 1907 to include a carriage house, animal stalls, lab and surgical spaces and a hayloft, the building served as home to the university’s veterinary college for more than three decades. It was during that early period of WSU history that the first African-American veterinary graduate, Winfred A. Jordan, earned his degree in 1920.
During World War II, the university’s veterinary programs began relocating to other areas of the campus and its original building became known as the “Ad Annex,” housing a wide variety of university services and activities. At various times since then, the building has been home to Campus Police, Facilities Planning, the Office of the Dean of Students, and maintenance shops.
At least 17 major interior and exterior renovations of the Ad Annex Building have been documented, many of which greatly diminished the original architectural character of the structure. In 1982, an elevator tower was added to the south side of the building. While the construction at that time allowed for wheelchair access to all three floors, no other significant modernizations or efficiency enhancements have been undertaken on the structure, which has experienced significant decline.
The environmental assessment associated with the removal of the building was completed in late 2007. The WSU Disability Resources Center the final remaining occupant of the Administration Annex began moving into newly renovated office and testing space in the Washington Building with the WSU Health & Wellness Services last month.
