What’s Wrong with the Old Talley?
With all the talk about an attractive new student center, it’s hard to ignore that there are some students who still feel disenfranchised about the project. We’re in a tough economic climate, and many students and their families are feeling the stress of paying for an education along with everything else that seems to be rising in cost these days.
Perhaps we are focusing too much on the “pretty” of the new building and not enough on the reality of trying to function in the existing Talley Student Center and bookstore building.
Talley was built in 1972 amidst similar economic times. The United States was on the brink of the most severe recession since World War II, and while the building was by all accounts modern, it was not designed or built to serve the long-term needs of the University. As a member of the freshman class of 1985 (13 years after it was built), I could already tell that Talley was not a student-friendly student center. But it functioned, and that was okay.
Fast-forward 26 years, and not only is Talley an under-functioning student center, it is now suffering in two other ways. The first is related to size.
It’s too small to adequately serve the student body with its lobby, meeting, office, performance and dining spaces, among others, and it’s been that way for a long time.
Take NC State Dining, for example. There is a real need for more modern, comfortable food service spaces that would take pressure off the Atrium and Case Dining Hall, but electrical, plumbing and space constraints won’t allow for it. (See reason #2 for an explanation of why). Dining is transitioning to operate under the jurisdiction of the Wake County Health Department and will be required to meet the more stringent regulations applied to restaurants. They have to apply for permits as if they were just being opened for business, and while the cooking equipment is up to date, the Talley Student Center would require significant remodeling to meet today’s standards for number of sinks, plumbing connections, lighting levels, refrigerated storage, and flooring. The Wake County Health Department and the NC Department of Environmental and Natural Resources have agreed to allow the existing Talley food services to operate as is while the new food services are constructed.
The second reason is related to the deterioration and of the building itself. Talley is suffering system failures that have the potential to be catastrophic if not addressed properly. For example:
- The electrical system is at maximum capacity and is unable to support needed upgrades to the building. Portable panels have to be brought in to facilitate events in the ballroom and outdoors.
- The plumbing system is deteriorating and has resulted in failures that require services and areas be closed during repairs. Plus, it lacks control points, which means water to the whole building has to be turned off to make a plumbing repair. This affects Price Music Center’s water supply, as well.
- The HVAC system has numerous issues that draw unconditioned air into the building, wasting energy to heat and cool the outside air that enters the building every time a door is opened.
- Fire sprinklers exist only in the kitchen areas, not any others.
- The elevators are failing.
- Asbestos in the building makes even simple changes/upgrades to the building costly due to the abatement required.
- ADA standards were adopted long after the building was opened, so compliance is awkward in many places and borderline in others (e.g. the ramp on Cates Avenue, which is very steep).
The NC State Bookstore building is suffering similar issues in terms of space, systems, and facility degradation. It has settled significantly, and it would cost millions of dollars to repair it and bring it up to modern code. Even then, it would not be adequate for the bookstore operations, which would have to go somewhere else in order to serve the current and future student population.
The outward bookstore operation belies the troubles they face on a daily basis to serve students, especially during book sales at the beginning of each semester. Space constraints dictate they operate out of five tractor trailer trucks parked in the tight loading area behind the building to meet the demand.
Some students were put off by the decision to move forward with the project when students voting in the referendum did not support the necessary increase in student fees, however, a majority agreed the project needed to be done. And while the vote was considered by student leaders, the Chancellor, the Board of Trustees and the UNC Board of Governors, these other issues were also taken into consideration, including the needs of tens of thousands of students who will pass through our university in decades to come.
Our bookstore and student center are failing and have been failing for many years. To keep these facilities operational in their current state would cost millions of dollars that could be better spent by moving forward with a solution that will transform student life in a way that few of us can even imagine but through a glimpse at the model images and renderings. It’s going to be an attractive building, yes, but it’s going to be more than that. It’s a smart and necessary choice of direction for future students who count on us to make good decisions on their behalf.
In my next blog, I will share more about student life master plan and how campus planners have been looking to the future to anticipate the needs of our growing campus. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your thoughts on how we can better reach out to students about this project. Email me at jennifer_gilmore@ncsu.edu. You can also learn more about the project at two upcoming events: Talley Town Hall Meeting, Monday, April 25 from noon – 2 p.m. in the Talley Ballroom (to discuss construction impacts) and Talley Project Information Day, Tuesday April 26 from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. in the Talley Lobby.