Cost, completion date of asbestos abatement unknown
University administrators do not yet know the cost of asbestos abatement for Warriner Hall that displaced about 169 workers for nearly a month.
"I'm afraid to find out what that number will be," Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services Barrie Wilkes told the university's Board of Trustees at its June 23 meeting.
The total cost remains unknown until the abatement of Plachta Auditorium is complete. Crews should begin working on the space late this week, said Vice President of Facilities Management Steve Lawrence.
"It's a challenging space," Lawrence said. "The ducts go all the way to the ceiling. We are trying to figure out how we will get people up there."
Warriner Hall reopened June 18 after air and dust testing were clear for asbestos in the administrative parts of the building. The administration does not know the completion date of Plachta, though the asbestos level found is lower than that of the offices in the building.
"We were focused more on getting the building reoccupied," Lawrence said. "Plachta has been sealed off and has a separate duct system, so it doesn't affect the other part of the building."
Trustee Tricia Keith recognized the efforts of those involved in the abatement.
"It's a disaster, but it wasn't a disaster," she said. "This shows a great exercise in business continuity."
Warriner Hall was closed on May 29 when workers found elevated levels of asbestos in the air while working on waterlines. They noticed insulation and old pipes in an air duct in the building's crawl space.
