SIDEBAR: Logan renovation to begin next year

Those who have never walked around Logan Hall will soon be able to look right through it. Passers-by next year will be able to peer into the facility from 36th Street during massive renovations which will remove the building's entire western face. The massive renovations of the century-old structure will include reinforcing walls with concrete and other modern materials. The work will force all Logan Hall offices to evacuate by fall 1991 and to relocate to other areas for the three-year long project, Vice President for Facilities Management Arthur Gravina said last week. Currently, Logan Hall houses the School of Arts and Sciences advising offices and the College of General Studies administrative offices. The Philosophy and Folklore/Folklife departments and the Women's Studies and International Relations programs, along with other offices, also make their home in the building. The project of rebuilding the decaying structure, slated to begin next winter, will cost the University $10 million -- more than it would cost to tear down the building and replace it with a purely functional building, Gravina said. But he added that because of Logan Hall's history, the University wants to preserve the building's character. "We have to save the building," Gravina said. "Our history is more important than our economics." He added that the building will look exactly the same, but will be outfitted with more modern materials. SAS Assistant Director for Facilities Management Charles Bronk said yesterday that officials are trying to identify alternative space for the offices near the center of campus. "There are boundaries to where you can put them," Bronk said. "You probably can't stick them in Valley Forge and have things still work."

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