SLCC on Main Street still not ready

Workers in hard hats and students with book bags won't be mixing at Salt Lake Community College's Main Street campus for the start of fall semester.

The first day of classes at 115 S. Main was supposed to be Wednesday.

"It just isn't ready to offer classes; it's not safe," said campus director Larry Landward.

The elevators, for example, are not working properly. Crews are fixing those so they'll also meet standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Without elevators, some students would be forced to climb several flights of stairs to reach classes on one of five floors.

Ongoing construction actually forced school officials to cancel classes there a month ago and to reroute 34 students to other SLCC locations.

"I'm just thinking of the safety of the students and the convenience of the students," Landward said. "I don't want to do anything in a half-baked way."

Sen. Bill Hickman, R-St. George, initially criticized school officials during the 2004 session for wanting to purchase the building, which had to be closed last fall for safety and seismic concerns. Back then, students had to be reassigned to other locations.

SLCC President Judd Morgan eventually got the go-ahead from legislators to get out of a costly lease and buy the property for more than $5 million.

Brochures went out earlier this year announcing 18 different classes were scheduled for the fall semester. Landward said postponing the start date was "upsetting" to students, but added they had been "fair" about the inconvenience.

Others weren't surprised to learn of the revised opening.

"It was a very ambitious schedule they had to be open by fall," said Dave Buhler, Utah System of Higher Education associate commissioner of public affairs. "They'll be up and running soon."

Buhler said SLCC has the freedom to start at an unusual time.

Now, students interested in downtown classes will have to wait until at least an October 19 opening — and then, only if teachers are available to start what Landward called "abbreviated" courses mid-semester.

In the meantime, the furnishings are in but the computers aren't. And workers are laying carpet and tile, replacing windows and putting the finishing touches on the building's new metal "superstructure," the huge rounded "X" shapes on the outside — the seismic upgrades that are supposed to hold the building together in a strong earthquake.

"We think it's unfortunate that construction and safety issues need to be addressed at this late a date," said SLCC spokesman Joy Tlou.

The upside, Tlou added, is that the decision was made a month ago to cancel classes, giving students time to adjust.

The new start date also affords school officials a chance to poll students who didn't get into classes at other SLCC locations because they were full. Those students, Landward said, will be contacted to see if they're interested in attending class at the Main Street campus. As many as 250 students took classes downtown before it was closed last fall.

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com