History Dept. move delayed indefinitely

The department was supposed to return to College Hall by spring. One of the University's most respected departments will remain in its temporary home indefinitely in the 3401 Walnut Street complex. The History Department -- which moved to its current offices above the Moravian Cafes at 3401 Walnut Street from College Hall while that building underwent renovations -- was originally scheduled to move back into the University's oldest building by spring 1999, opening up space at 34th and Walnut streets for the second phase of the Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. But according to several professors and administrators, the University informed the History Department at the beginning of the semester that the move was being put off indefinitely. Vice President for Facilities Services Omar Blaik said his department has not received the "OK" from the University to move ahead with the necessary renovations of the east wing of College Hall, where the History Department offices would be. "We're still looking to make sure we have all design complete and that we have the resources to spend," Blaik said. History Professor Marc Trachtenberg, who said he has known of the decision to remain at 3401 Walnut since September, said the move has been "put on indefinite hold for budgetary reasons," although he did not name any specific budgetary constraints. According to Blaik, the renovations had been funded for the past seven years through deferred maintenance reserves, which have been dwindling over the last several years. History Department Chairperson Lynn Lees also said she was unaware of the details of the funding for the project and has "not been given a formal explanation," although she said it was "clear the work [in College Hall] has been stopped." "The University is obviously involved in a great many construction projects," Lees said. "Someone probably made a decision that the College Hall project should be postponed." But Blaik explained that the problems with funding the College Hall renovations have nothing to do with other facilities projects around campus, since there are difference sources of funding for the maintenance of old buildings and the construction of new ones. Lees said she was disappointed by the decision to postpone the move and said she hoped the renovations would commence as soon as possible. "I would hope completing the renovations of College Hall would be put back on a priority list," she said, adding that the building is a "fitting place for the History Department." Other department members said they weren't surprised by the postponement. "People suspected they weren't going to keep their word," Undergraduate Chairperson Bruce Kuklick said, adding that he doesn't expect the move to take place in the near future. "I'm unpacking my boxes," he said. A side effect of the postponement is that if the History Department stays in 3401 Walnut for much longer, it could alter the plans for the Institute for Advanced Science and Technology's computer science and cognitive science laboratories. The University has been planning since last November to move the IAST II project, the second phase of a three-part U.S. Air Force-funded program, into 3401 Walnut. The first phase, the Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, opened last fall, providing lab space for the Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Medical Engineering departments. Blaik explained that since IAST II is still in the early stages of planning, "it doesn't look like it will be a problem" to use the 3401 Walnut space on the third and fourth floors, indicating that by the time it is ready for construction, the History Department will likely have moved. But Blaik added that the postponement does have some impact on the plans for IAST II, forcing the University to look at several other options for the project. He said it was too early to tell what those alternative sites could be but said "the next few months will tell" a lot about what will happen as the University approaches the design and construction stages of the project.

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