Save the Popular Culture Building

[karenka]

Can you imagine a better setting for our internationally acclaimed Popular Culture Program than the Pop Culture Building at the corner of College and Wooster? Yet the administration has announced plans to destroy the historic building, a Montgomery Ward catalog kit house, called a Wardway house.

I hate to see transient administrators sweep in for their five years or so from who-knows-where and completely destroy all of the things that make our alma mater special. The fact that they informed the Pop Culture faculty that they had two weeks to pack up and move is typical -- move swiftly, act while the campus community is away, avoid a backlash.

If you care about the campus and community and want to preserve its architectural artifacts, I hope you'll sign this petition.

http://signon.org/s/6NFJex

[PGY Tiercel]

Signed.

[footballguy51]

That building...good ridance. It's an old, delapidated building on the fringe of campus. The Popular Culture department deserves to be in a better location. If they want to stay in dirty, crummy accomodations, they can move to South Hall, Family & Consumer Sciences, or one of the traditions buildings.

FYI, since the decision has been made, a petition will not save the building. I'm sure a contractor has already been hired, as they plan to have the building demolished before the Fall semester.

[Warthog]

That building...good ridance. It's an old, delapidated building on the fringe of campus. The Popular Culture department deserves to be in a better location.

Agreed. There is nothing historically or architecturally significant about a Montgomery Ward kit house.

[karenka]

And that's how we lose our history -- people don't notice the significance until it's too late. Some do, though, and to those who signed, thanks!

[Flipper]

Tear it down...it's not a historically significant structure. Sure, it has sentimental value to a few people, but that doesn't make it "historic".

[footballguy51]

President Mazey had two letters she wrote to the BGSU community regarding the situation that I feel completely explains this and also ends any complaints on why the building isn't being kept. By the way, there is a link in the third paragraph of the second letter.

Letter #1

As we move forward with implementing the campus master plan, there are some additional changes taking place over the summer. The offices of the Department of Popular Culture will be moving to Shatzel Hall for the start of the academic year to bring the departments that make up the School of Cultural and Critical Studies together in one facility. We’re excited about the academic collaborations this will help foster.

Popular Culture’s current home, the building at the corner of E. Wooster and South College Drive, will be demolished. I understand the nostalgic feelings some have for the building, since it once was the home of BGSU presidents. However, the building is in very poor condition and it is simply no longer cost effective to bring it up to minimally acceptable standards. While I would have preferred to let you know about this myself, many of you may have seen the announcement in the Sentinel-Tribune on Saturday.

Throughout BGSU’s history, presidential homes have been demolished or sold to meet the evolving strategic needs of the University. That is what is being done here. The location is one of the sites being considered for a new student health center. It is currently the preferred choice for safety reasons. With two crosswalks and a stoplight at this intersection, our students can reach the center safely and conveniently.
I am hopeful that the demolition can be completed before the start of the fall semester to minimize the disruption for the University community.

These changes create some exciting new opportunities for our faculty and students. Provost Rogers and I will keep you updated as we move forward.

Regards,

Mary Ellen Mazey, Ph.D.
President



Letter #2

Dear Colleagues:

I’m writing to provide some additional background and context on the decision to raze the building currently housing Popular Culture to prepare the site for a new student health center.

Clearly, we failed to adequately communicate the decision-making process and the work done to reach these conclusions. For that, we apologize. I can assure you that we will do a better job sharing this information as we move forward with the implementation of the master plan for our Bowling Green campus. I am committed to open communication and transparency, and we will continue to work on this.

The decision to move the Popular Culture faculty was made before 2010, and my staff and I have made every effort to implement that decision prior to fall semester 2012. Candidly, during my meetings with faculty throughout the previous academic year, it was clear they were looking forward to the move to Shatzel Hall. In addition, the decision to remove the house due to the poor condition of the structure was made in the master planning process of 2009. Numerous individuals participated in that process, and the plan was approved by the Board of Trustees in a public meeting. Based on the reports, we simply cannot strategically or financially justify saving this building.

BGSU now has an opportunity to build a new student health center that will benefit the entire University. The most likely and convenient site for the center are the two lots on the southwest corner of Wooster Street and South College. Consequently, the time has come to remove the Popular Culture House to prepare the site for the new health center. The removal of the house is not only part of the implementation of the master plan, but it serves the best interests of BGSU.

The building’s potential historical value was given careful consideration. The house, which was constructed in 1930, is a “kit home” that was ordered from Montgomery Ward. Over the years it served as a presidential residence, and housed Alumni Affairs, the Graduate College and, of course, Popular Culture.
Kit homes certainly have a place in American culture and history. However, this building is simply no longer a prime or historical representation of a kit home. Large-scale additions to the house, renovations to make it more functional as an office building, and maintenance not consistent with historical preservation standards over the last 80 years have compromised any significant historical value.

We understand another aspect of the building’s history that is truly important. It is the fact that the formative years of a new academic discipline — the study of popular culture — took place there. We, too, are extremely proud of that history and the Popular Culture program. But, the importance of the work that brought about the Popular Culture program doesn’t reside in a building. It resides in the people who worked together to develop a world-class, first-of-its-kind program. It resides in the faculty, alumni and students who are carrying on that legacy. It is my firm belief that moving the department — to what is planned to be the gateway entrance to campus — is in the best interest of the University and the Department of Popular Culture.

As we move forward with the master plan and capital improvements, academic buildings are a priority — including the historic Hanna, Moseley and University halls.

In the coming weeks and months, I’ll be sharing more about plans for our buildings and facilities and how we’ll be meeting the needs of our students, faculty and staff in the future.
Regards,

Mary Ellen Mazey, Ph.D.
President