Moldy walls and a leaky roof will shut down the 7-year-old William H. Sutton Administration Building at Mississippi Valley State University for at least 18 months.
The 200 occupants of the four-story building have to leave by June 1, when renovations begin.
The building was completed in July 1999. "It's been a long time coming. We could tell there would be a problem when it was being built. The estimated renovation time of 18 months tells you the magnitude of the problem. We can only hope for the best," said Dr. Lester C. Newman, MVSU president.
According to Tommy Verdell, director of facilities management, the biggest problem is on the south side of the building.
The moisture barrier underneath the bricks is insufficient and allows water to seep into the building, he said.
When water seeps in, it gets into the air conditioning system between the floors of the four-story building.
This upsets the balance of the air. "It blows hot during the summer and cold during the winter," said Verdell.
More moisture is blown into the building, causing mold. The biggest symptom so far is the discoloration of the walls, he said.
The mold is not a health hazard at the moment, said Newman, but he believes it could become one.
Verdell said the true extent of the damage will not be fully known until workers begin tearing down the bricks.
"The nature of the repairs is extensive and detail-intensive," said Verdell.
He conceded that a year and a half is a long time. "We don't want to recreate the problem, and we don't want to repeat the construction. We want to get it right this time," said Verdell.
The total cost of the project is not known at this time, said Verdell.
Administrative offices, such as the president's, will be moved to the old administration building on campus.
The building also houses many other departments, including the offices of admission, financial aid and student records.
Lloyd Dixon, associate director of financial aid, expects a smooth transition.
Dixon said he does not anticipate any problems transferring work files from one computer to another because of a campus-wide computer database.
"We're just changing from our current office to another one. It will take some time getting use to it, especially if you move to an area that is smaller," he said.
Temporary structures on campus will house the other offices.
"We have some vacated space where we will put the buildings. It will disrupt the routine, but it's necessary for the renovations," said Newman.
