Ball State to Demolish Residence Halls

Ball State University is seeking bids for the demolition of a 50-year-old group of residence halls on campus.

The university has issued notices to bidders for demolitions and asbestos abatement to begin May 8 at LaFollette Complex. The estimated $3.4 million project is scheduled for completion Sept. 29. The university’s director of housing and residence life, Alan Hargrave, says the nine-story-tall complex opened in 1967 during the nationwide expansion in higher education to accommodate baby boomers.

Similar residence halls were built in the 1960s to hold as many students in as small a space as possible. Today, the complex houses 1,900 students, most of whom are freshman.