For more than 10 years, the master planning for demolishing the old Jay L. Nelson Administration Building, located at Taylorville Redwood Campus, and constructing a new, more modern building in its place, has finally gone underway.
“[The Admin] building was old, it needed [a] sort of aggressive, seismic refitting,” says Joy Tlou, Public Relations Director. “It was clear that all of the offices, administration staff and academic programs had out-grown their spaces.”
The first 105,000 square-foot Administration Building was constructed in 1966, 20 years after the founding of Salt Lake Community College. It was not until nearly 50 years after it was built, that the new 136,000 square-foot Instruction and Administration Building had opened, just in time for the 2013 fall semester, which in fact, was the plan all along.
“It was actually more cost effective to build a new building that can handle the capacity of growth of the institution,” says Tlou. The idea was to remove the old Administration Building and replace it with an open green field, adding a new look and feel to the campus, “a sort of front lawn for the college.”
The Instruction and Administration Building has many features, including a three-story atrium located in the east wing of the building—practically made for SLCC students—along with phenomenal interior design that includes curved wall and more windows in each classroom.
The idea and goal for this building demolishing project is to create a better learning environment for SLCC students.
“I definitely feel, think there’s an advantage to having [more] classroom space,” says Tlou. “It’s really a [more] flexible way [for students] to learn.”
Salt Lake Community College plans to hold a formal dedication ceremony, honoring the late President Nelson in renaming the open field after him, once the Administration Building has been demolished.
