Thoughts on demolition of GSW’s Complex III

This letter is in response to the demolition of Georgia Southwestern State University’s Complex III.

This opinion to the community, including GSW students, has changed somewhat since the day I first composed it. I am glad some time has passed since the first draft, because so much has been gained from that time. In all openness, I am asking the Americus Times-Recorder to print this original letter as well as a follow-up one. Below is the first letter written by me, but not submitted to the Americus Times-Recorder:

When I read in the Americus Times-Recorder that the demolition of GSW's Complex III had been approved at an accelerated pace, it started me thinking.

I walked over to Complex III and said to myself, look at all of the usable materials contained in those buildings that could be recycled thus reducing space in our landfills and providing valuable income to members of our community. At that moment I reflected back a couple of years previously when some other older dorms at GSW were torn down, lock, stock and barrel and sent to the landfill. This included windows, doors, brick, etc. I really hated to see all that useful material wasted.

In this new demolition, the citizens of Americus should have a voice and benefit directly by having the ability to salvage as much as possible from the buildings. Remember, we are the birth place and showpiece for Habitat for Humanity. I know that GSW President Kendall Blanchard would support this effort completely as he has said many times how green his campus is. This would be a great statement to our community that GSW, under the hand of President Blanchard, fulfills his promises to be a caring steward of the environment. If President Blanchard allows the demolition to continue without letting Americus' citizens to salvage as much material as possible, it will negate the green efforts by GSW for the past years as well as many coming years. This needs your attention ASAP because Complex III is slated to be demolished as this letter is printed.

Please contact President Blanchard ASAP and let him know your feelings.

Update on this letter: As I walked by Complex III today (Oct. 16), I wondered why GSW President Kendall Blanchard allowed the demolition of the buildings to proceed so quickly. (This was not on the master plan). The answer then became painfully clear. If Blanchard could demolish Complex III as fast as possible and start construction of the new student dorms, then he would have put an end to the troubling question of building the new Health and Human Sciences building on this site instead. He knows that there does not exist another site large enough for the aforementioned building, so in his mind, that would be a checkmate! In his haste to get the buildings down, he was asked about recycling the materials and he said "It’s in the hands of the contractors.” How can a major University President give away his power?

In addition, those buildings contained asbestos materials. I'm not really sure if GSW contacted the City or its students or the parents of the children at the childcare center (400 feet away) to make them aware of this danger. I myself only saw two small signs approximately 16 x 16 on a doorway that were in English and Spanish, but so small that I had to use the telephoto of my camera to read them. When I realized what was going on, I called the Georgia State Environmental Protection Agency and asked them to check in to it. I did not receive a callback. I did notice however that a billboard was placed inside the construction fence speaking to workers’ rights and health hazards. (too late?) This sign also could only be read by me with a telephoto lens.

I took lots of pictures during the last two weeks and they show uncovered dumpsters, debris on the ground, etc. Also today as I watched the speed with which they are working to tear down these buildings, what struck me was a plume of dust blowing toward the childcare center. The workmen did have a water hose, but it appeared ineffective.

So in his haste to get these buildings down ASAP, did President Blanchard endanger his students, his personnel and most importantly the children at the child care center? I think it is a question that needs to be answered fully.

I ran across a statement by President Blanchard when he was being considered for a position at USF Lakeland in Florida. It appeared in the Ledger of Thursday Feb. 2, 2006, written by Julia Crouse. It goes like this: "Blanchard said he would listen to students, meet with faculty and learn about the community before making any ground breaking decisions or changes."

Apparently President Blanchard forgot those words when he came here! At every step concerning the relocation of the proposed Health and Human Sciences building he has not listened to the community, or even asked his own students what they feel would be a better solution.

By the way, students are signing petitions as we speak in favor of not destroying the greenspace/walking trail. In the past when President Blanchard was asked about the cutting of the trees on the greenspace he replied, "Don't tell anyone." I think this quote sums up the way that Blanchard informs the community. The “Don't tell anyone " policy does not work in this new environment. The people of our community including students need to be informed , not only on possibly losing our valuable green space, but to the issue of being exposed to asbestos.

The solutions to meet the needs of our community are right in front of our faces, but they can not be realized when people exist who put only their needs first. Remember, in this age of technology and forward thinking, you would think that GSW would be creative enough to demonstrate to their students and the community that they have the knowledge to build a building 561 feet from its proposed location and build dorms in other available sites on campus. After all, isn't that why we send our children to so called higher institutions of learning? If GSW can not find creative solutions to these local problems, how can they teach their students to survive and change in this troubled economy?