Fate of Res. Halls unknown

By Mary Daly

Published Aug. 24, 2007

Cramer and Stafford residence halls are being threatened with demolition as a result of upcoming hospital expansion, Residential Life Director Frankie Minor said.

Columbia Historical Preservation Commission Chairman Brian Pape wrote a letter to Minor and asked him to reconsider comments in the Columbia Daily Tribune that suggested the halls would be demolished.

Although no decision has been made, the MU Campus Master Plan already budgets for the loss of these two historic buildings, Pape said.

The Master Plan includes the Mid-Campus housing project and the Graham-Defoe renovation. The construction, which is expected to be complete in April 2009, will bring a net gain of about 29 beds on campus, taking into consideration that Cramer and Stafford will close around that time.

Minor said the campus intends to continue operating Cramer and Stafford as residence halls until at least April 2009.

"At that point we're unsure as to what the future is going to be," Minor said.

He said Residential Life came up with a contingency plan in case the campus needed to use that land for the hospital expansion. Approximately 100 beds were added to the new College Avenue residence hall and the number of beds was doubled at the upcoming Mid-Campus housing.

The Columbia Historic Preservation Commission strongly opposes the demolition of the residence halls.

Stafford and Cramer have housed thousands of students since 1947. Pape said the buildings reflect the post-World War II era of the campus.

"Stafford and Cramer have good quality and history with the university," Pape said.

He said as long as the residence halls' appearance is maintained, their purpose does not matter. Pape said it would be a shame if those buildings were lost for good.

The commission believes there are other options besides tearing down the buildings to make room for the hospital, Pape said in the letter to Minor. Some alternate suggestions include expanding the hospital into the hospital parking garage, creating a taller building design that better utilizes vertical space or using the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital parking lot.

Minor said the campus does have a longstanding history in trying to preserve its character. Pieces of demolished buildings are often saved and reused in the new construction, he said.

"Eventually a campus has to weigh not only its commitment to history but also its commitment to the future," Minor said. "Sometimes some historical things have to give way to future needs."