COLUMBIA ,Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri plans to demolish a building that has been on campus for 127 years after unsuccessful attempts to cleanup radioactive contamination.
The university announced Thursday that Pickard Hall will be coming down. The Columbia Missourian reports work to raze the building will begin after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approves the university’s plan, which was submitted last week.
Gary Ward, vice chancellor of operations, said the decision was made only after years of study determined there was no other alternative. The demolition will cost an estimated $12 million and take about two years.
The building opened in 1892 and has been closed since 2013.
Chemists in the building in the early 20th century worked with radioactive material, when the dangers of the material were unknown. Contamination from that material spread from the basement up to the attic.
