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Asbestos removed from psychology lab

(01/23/03 10:00am)

When work-study students at the Penn Resilience Project were assigned to clear out boxes from the basement of the Solomon Laboratories of Experimental Psychology building at 3720 Walnut Street in November, they were unaware that asbestos, a known carcinogen, lay within the cracked floor tiles of the dusty basement. However, they learned several weeks later that the room had been sealed off, and workers had begun asbestos abatement at the site. "At that point, I had no idea what had happened," said one work-study student who wished not to be identified by name. "I was pretty worried." Although the tiles in the floor did contain asbestos, University officials at the Office of Environmental Health and Radiation Safety, which handles asbestos-related matters at Penn, said there is no reason for alarm. "The asbestos in the floor tile is tightly bound in the vinyl matrix of the tile," Associate Director of EHRS Laura Peller explained in an e-mail. "The asbestos fibers do not easily become airborne unless the tile is ground into pieces. When the tiles are intact, there is no health risk." The basement room of the building has been deemed safe and has since been reopened, according to Peller. Although the incident drew some alarm from students fearing they had been exposed, asbestos is not a rare finding on campus. "Asbestos-containing materials exist throughout the campus and are periodically inspected by" EHRS, Peller said. "Removals are conducted on an as-needed basis as determined by trained professionals." Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral containing silicon and was commonly used in thousands of products from the 1940s until it was linked to several forms of cancer. In 1971, the Environmental Protection Agency identified asbestos-containing materials -- which contain more than one percent asbestos -- as a "hazardous pollutant." However, because of its excellent noise and fire retardant properties, asbestos was used extensively in many buildings constructed prior to the 1970s -- including many on campus. Though extended exposure can lead to cancer, EPA documents state that "Intact, undisturbed asbestos-containing materials generally do not pose a health risk." It is only when asbestos is released into the air in its fibrous form that danger arises. In most cases, if the asbestos-containing material is intact, costly removal processes -- which must be carried out by trained professionals -- are not usually necessary. Because some of the floor tiles in the basement of the building had come loose and needed replacing, the room was sealed off and specially trained crews were sent in to take care of the matter. When asbestos abatement is necessary on campus, Peller said EHRS follows a carefully regulated procedure. First, the room is sealed off, to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff. Then, after notifying Philadelphia's Department of Health, a certified asbestos contractor conducts the abatement process under the supervision of EHRS staff. After the room's air quality has been monitored and determined to be safe, the room is reopened. Before construction or renovations can begin on campus, certified asbestos officers first determine if the project might release asbestos. And while students said they have been somewhat reassured by the response of officials, some felt they should have been better informed about the issue. "I'm not that worried about exposure anymore, but I do wish they'd handled the situation differently," the work-study student said. "I would've assumed that people in the Psych Department could have at least informed us."

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/01/asbestos_removed_from_psychology_lab

Palladium to close doors after two decades on campus

(01/16/03 10:00am)

A central landmark on campus for two decades, The Palladium restaurant and Gold Standard cafeteria will be leaving Locust Walk with the Class of 2003. The lease for the property -- which the University took over from the Christian Association in 1999 -- was originally set to expire at the end of 2002. However, restaurant owners and University officials were able to negotiate an extension of the lease to the end of May this year, allowing the eateries to remain on campus through the academic year. Though The Palladium and Gold Standard will shut their doors, the owners say they are not bowing out of the restaurant business entirely just yet. Instead, they will be opening a new Italian restaurant on 47th Street and Warrington Avenue, just south of Baltimore Avenue. Construction has recently begun on the new restaurant -- which will be called Abbraccio, Italian for "embrace" -- and owners say they expect it to officially open in June. Though decisions on what will fill the old building have not been finalized yet, University officials say they are currently considering plans to create "a multipurpose space for students and faculty, with the ability to keep a cafe-like operation going," according to Vice President of Facilities and Real Estate Services Omar Blaik. However, opening a full-service restaurant is not an option until the building -- over a hundred years old -- can be upgraded to accommodate new equipment and made more accessible to handicapped customers. "It's a really wonderful space," Blaik said. "We all wish the building was in much better shape to maintain some sort of restaurant operation there, but that's not the case. The building is in serious need of repair." Blaik added that the University was trying to take into consideration students' concerns while selecting the building's new tenant. "I think people were concerned that it may go into becoming a purely academic space or purely administrative space," he said. "I think everyone has been pleased we are thinking seriously of keeping some sort of cafe operation running." The owners said they have mixed feelings about leaving the site they have occupied since 1983. "I really like the campus a lot," owner Roger Harmon said, noting his and co-owner Duane Ball's experiences as students at Penn. "We have fond feelings, but it's tough being on campus because the business fluctuates so much in the course of the year." Harmon said that as the area around campus has changed and parking spaces have become more sparse, the restaurant has become less accessible to those outside the Penn community and more focused on campus patrons. With the opening of Abbraccio, Harmon hopes to return to a more neighborhood-oriented restaurant -- which will feature free parking, a wrap-around outdoor porch with a roof and separate dining room for families with children. "I miss having just a little restaurant, a neighborhood restaurant, which is what we had at one point," Harmon said. "I'm looking forward to going back to that." Harmon said that the owners had been aware their time on campus would be limited since the University purchased the Christian Association building on 36th and Locust streets back in 1999. "We've known for many years, so this plan has been in the works for four years or more," Harmon said. "Our relations with the University have been pretty much cordial through all of this." Some students expressed dismay upon learning the restaurant would be closing. "It's pretty to sit out there in the spring," College sophomore Rachel Reibman said. "My dad went to Penn and whenever he comes to visit, he likes to go have a drink there so that will be sad." "I feel like it's been there a long time," College sophomore Allison Leher added. "It's a part of campus."

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/01/palladium_to_close_doors_after_two_decades_on_campus

Stouffer performing arts hub in works

(01/14/03 10:00am)

The space once occupied by Stouffer Commons -- which closed its doors permanently as a dining hall more than a year ago -- may soon have new life breathed into it, thanks to plans for renovation. According to University officials, work on the former dining space next to the Quadrangle will begin this March so that by summer, it can accommodate offices for the college house system, which are currently located in the Hamilton Village high rises. Plans to transform the building's basement -- formerly known as Stouffer Down Under -- into a performing arts hub are also in the works, according to Student Performing Arts Coordinator Ty Furman. "We're very excited about this," Furman said. The proposed facility, which is still in the designing and fundraising stages, will be based on the models of the Kelly Writers House and Civic House to create a center for performing arts groups. The space will include a dance studio, theater and a cappella rehearsal rooms, lounge, band room and offices. Moving the college house offices is a necessary step in the ongoing renovation plans for the high rises. The former offices in the high rises "will be turned into student rooms, computer rooms and other spaces," Vice President for Facilities and Real Estate Services Omar Blaik said. "They will be an integral part of the house rather than having office space in a residential building." Performing arts groups have been using Stouffer's basement for rehearsals since last December, when University officials accepted the Performing Arts Council's and Undergraduate Assembly's proposal to do so. However, both the basement and main dining hall spaces have been left mostly unchanged since being used as a dining hall -- ovens and other kitchen equipment still remain. The renovations of the main dining hall, slated to become offices for the college house system, will cost an estimated $1 million, according to Blaik. The funding will come from part of the $80 million, six-year plan to renovate the high rises. But funding for transforming the basement of Stouffer into a performing arts space is still in the financial planning stages. "With a project of this magnitude, we need to get the funding in place," Furman said, adding that "it's a more than $2 million project, so we'll be doing some fundraising over the next year." Furman said that the Performing Arts Council is hoping to occupy the newly-designed space by fall 2004, but added that the date is still very tentative. Until construction begins, performing arts groups will continue to use the Stouffer basement space for rehearsals. "We can use it for four rehearsal spaces at any given time," Furman said. "All the tables and chairs are still there. We aren't that picky -- we just need open space." The former dining hall was forced to close when not enough students signed up for meal plans for the fall 2001 semester. Although several years ago administrators considered plans to demolish Stouffer Triangle as part of a $380 million University overhaul, those designs were abandoned in 1999. Instead, administrators opted to keep the building and spend a more modest amount on renovations.

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/01/stouffer_performing_arts_hub_in_works

Living and learning: a hard lesson

(07/25/02 9:00am)

Normally, it wouldn't be unusual to see Jon smiling at me from across my counter at TCBY. He was a friendly guy who would occasionally drop by for an ice cream or even just to chat. I'd throw some extra sprinkles on his cone while he'd lightheartedly make fun of me or tell me what was new in his life. Jon was always like that -- outgoing, happy, cheerful. We weren't the closest of friends -- he was more of a friend-of-a-friend -- but Jon had a way of making everyone feel at ease.

https://www.thedp.com/article/2002/07/living_and_learning_a_hard_lesson

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