The University of Nevada, Reno will begin exterior demolition of the former Noble H. Getchell Library, the site of the new William N. Pennington Student Achievement Center, this Thursday, Dec. 19. 

Two large excavators will begin demolition on the northwest side of the building. These excavators, along with a crew of about 25 people, will work on the building's exterior demolition for the next month. Demolition of the Getchell building is scheduled to be complete by mid-January before the start of the spring semester. Most of the materials from the building will be hauled off campus and recycled.

Time lapse footage of the Getchell building demolition is available for those interested. This footage will also be available once construction of the Pennington Center starts.

The University has been preparing the Getchell building for this demolition for the past several months. As part of this preparation, it was discovered the Masons had placed a cornerstone with a time capsule inside. The time capsule contained printed materials including a photo of Noble Getchell; history of libraries at the University of Nevada, Reno; University of Nevada Catalogue for 1961-1962 and a copy of the University commencement program, 1961 and more. These time-capsule items will be on display on the second floor of the University's Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center just outside the Writing Center.

For faculty, staff and students on campus during the winter break, the Silver 4 parking lot next to the Virginia Street Gym will be closed from Dec. 19 until Jan. 20, with some exceptions for ADA parking on the east side of the Virginia Street Gym. The Facilities Department website includes a map showing the changes to the access routes around Getchell during the demolition. There will be periods of high construction activity and noise from trucks accessing the site from the roadway south of the Virginia Street Gym. Please use caution when traveling through this area. 

As the University considered options for the new Pennington Center, intense review and forethought went into the decision to take down Getchell, including the health risks of the building, cost to update the building and bring it up to code, and the vision to really connect the north and south part of campus better. The University is exploring ways to honor/recognize the Getchell name in the new facility.
 
About the William N. Pennington Student Achievement Center
The William N. Pennington Student Achievement Center will bring, in one facility, a myriad of student-success services now scattered across campus. Clustering together many of the student-centered services in one location creates synergy and allows for flexibility in scheduling. Slated to open in early 2016, the Pennington Center will offer evening hours to accommodate students' schedules, something that is not currently viable with these services spread throughout six or more buildings. Services proposed to relocate to the center include the Writing Center, Math Center, Tutoring Center, Career Studio, Advising Center, Student Veterans Lounge, Disability Resource Center, Counseling Services, and TRiO Scholars Programs.

The Pennington Center will exemplify the University's commitment to create a culture of student success. It will connect students to dedicated and convenient services to support their academic success and timely graduation, and it will foster diverse and truly engaged students. Offering sophisticated technologies and a personalized setting, the Pennington Center with provide ample opportunities for interacting with faculty, staff and fellow students.

The Pennington Center will help the University continue to attract top students - the workforce and citizenry of Nevada's future - and reach the goal to increase enrollment from 18,000 to 22,000 students throughout the next 10 years. This student enrollment growth will increasingly transform Reno-Sparks into a vibrant college town.