The demolition on Matheson Hall has officially begun.
Dean George Tsetsekos led a sledgehammer ceremony on Wednesday, October 5 with members of his advisory board, number of Drexel students, faculty and professional staff and representatives from the Keating Building Company, the firm demolishing Matheson Hall and building the new 12-story, 177,500 square-foot business center that will house the college at 33rd and Market Streets.
“Today marks the beginning of the end of a wonderful building,” Tsetsekos said.
The first order of business at the ceremony was the opening of a time capsule found by construction workers last week. There were several printed materials from that year found inside including a copy of the Triangle dated April 23, 1965, memorabilia from “BusAd Day,” the one-day affair now known as Honors Day for business students, a 1964 “Drexel Profile” card listing undergraduate enrollment at 10,235 and tuition at $1,200, a text book for a course on federal taxes, an “About Drexel” pamphlet, a blue exam booklet and cigarette butts inscribed with the names Ed Martin, Macaulay, Helpin, Barre, Lucke, McNamara. Dean’s Advisory Board Chairman Randy Burkert joked the butts would be “tested for DNA evidence.”
Dean Tsetsekos said a new time capsule would be placed inside the building upon its completion in 2013.
Keating President Brad Statler encouraged the Drexel community to follow along with these important milestones in the building process:
- Demolition of the building will continue through November
- Demolition will be followed by driving of the piles and setting foundations for the building in early 2012
- Building the steel skeleton of the building in May 2012
- Enclosing or “cladding” the steel structure completed by fall 2012
- Completing finishes, systems and installing equipment from late 2012 through fall 2013
- Building expected to be open and in full operation in late 2013
Those traveling around campus will be able to once again pass through the construction area within the next week, once a covered walkway is installed.
See coverage from KYW/CBS Philly here.
For more about the building of LeBow’s new home, visit www.buildinglebow.com/.