The last Old Heritage Halls building that will be demolished was torn down on Jan. 29, as construction continues for the addition of four new buildings.
According to Todd Hollingshead, media relations manager for University Communications, this huge project began in 2005 and is expected to be completed by August 2015. The current phase of construction includes adding four new buildings to the New Heritage complex and tearing down 10 of the 14 Old Heritage buildings.
“Most everything has moved on schedule,” said Hollingshead. “There has been a lot of planning and communication that has moved smoothly.”
BYU decided to build New Heritage to better accommodate students’ changing needs and to create an apartment-like living experience.
“I really like living in New Heritage,” said Melanie Anderson, a freshman studying medical lab science. “It feels a lot cleaner and bigger than our old apartments.”
Last semester, students living in Old Heritage were asked to move into the new buildings during and after finals week. Construction picked up again Jan. 29 by tearing down some of the remaining buildings at Old Heritage.
“It’s kind of sad to see them tear down the buildings,” said Anderson. “One time I was walking home from class and half of the old building was down. I lived there, and now it’s just a flat pile of dirt.”
While it may be sad to see the old buildings go, community members are happy with the progress of the construction and students are glad they get to live in the newer Heritage Halls.
According to a press release from Residence Life, the students that had to make the switch during finals are being provided with the same rate they paid while living at Old Heritage.
