In spite of recent protests, it seems that construction on the new Life Sciences Building on University Avenue will begin next summer as planned. Its opponents have longed claimed that the new structure's threat to the BioPond Garden are too great to bear, but the benefits of new, state-of-the-art laboratories and research facilities are too great to ignore.
David Balamuth, who heads the committee planning the new home of the Biology and Psychology departments, contends that the University is
"building this building because Penn as an institution is dedicated to research and education and that's what a major research university does." He argues that new facilities for faculty and students are necessary, and that the possible effect on the BioPond has been taken into account. In his own words, "There will be no doubt some impact. Very serious efforts have been made to minimize it; I think those efforts will be as successful as they can be."
Those fighting against the location for the building do not believe that those efforts will be successful, nor that they have been terribly serious.
The BioPond's manager, Traceylea Byford, argues that certain aspects of the building -- including its excessive height and proposed reflective windowpanes -- pose an undue threat to the wildlife that make the popular oasis their home.
There is, as Balamuth suggested, some credence to those concerns. But the need for new space is undeniable, and fears that the University is not doing enough to protect the garden are unfounded -- it is in no one's best
interest, least of all those charged with developing the new Life Sciences Building, to destroy or unduly harm the BioPond. It is a beloved campus treasure and any construction that would endanger its survival would be
unlikely to get very far.
In the end, the much-needed Life Sciences Building will be built and those building it must, and most assuredly will, take any and all steps needed to protect the BioPond. This is not to say that the garden will not be
affected -- even negatively. But so long as the new structure does not ravage the garden or encroach upon its territory, the risks are well worth the rewards.
