Santa Ana dorm residents will wear black today to protest the demolition of their dorm over winter break, but University officials said demolition is postponed.
UNM Real Estate Director Kim Murphy said the dorm will be demolished May 2011 during the first phase of a master student housing plan to add up to 3,000 beds on main campus. He said the regents won’t make decisions about the project at its meeting today, since it’s on the meeting agenda as an informational item.
“Winter break demolition was considered as a very tentative plan because it would allow construction to start sooner, but we decided it was unnecessary,” he said.
Students made signs and posters and also signed petitions opposing winter break demolition of Santa Ana, Santa Ana resident Kenndra Gatzke said.
“Everyone was really pissed about it,” she said. “People were laying in the hallways making signs saying that Santa Ana is a family and shouldn’t be broken up. The RAs passed around a petition that we signed, too.”
Residents of the dorm, which houses 172 students, heard that they would be dispersed to different dorms for the spring semester with the possibility of three people occupying one room, Gatzke said.
“I’m upset because our dorm is a community, and I paid to live here, and I think I deserve what I paid for,” Gatzke said. “If we had to move, I’m 99 percent sure I wouldn’t be with my roommate anymore, and I really like my roommate.”
The University will partner with American Campus Communities, the company developing Lobo Village on south campus. In a multiple-phase housing initiative the company will level Santa Ana to make room for construction projects.
Since March, Lobo Development Corporation held 17 planning forums about the housing, Murphy said, and forum participants thought the Santa Ana location was the best choice.
A post on the Lobo Development Facebook page says, “Thanks to everyone who came out to participate in our many workshops and forums! We will keep you informed as we move forward with ACC and let you know when our next series of open forums begins!”
Santa Ana dorm resident Lindsey Fria said she wants more information about the project and how it will affect dorm residents.
“It directly affects me, and I want to find out if I’m going to have a place to live next year,” she said.
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