Cowan Dining Commons undergoes green demolition

RELEASED: July 17, 2008

DANVILLE, KY—Construction of the Centre College Campus Center began June 26 with the demolition of Cowan Dining Commons. As the demolition nears its end, trucks are loaded with the remaining bits of debris which are hauled away to recycling centers at other sites that will use the deconstructed bits of Cowan in future projects. It's all part of Centre's commitment to protect the environment from unnecessary waste build-up. This practice also earns LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental and Design) points for the college.

"When it came time to decide who would conduct the demolition, we knew we wanted it done in accordance with the U.S. Green Building Council," says Wayne King, director of facilities management. "So we had six companies bid, and MCM had the most environmentally sustainable practices."

According to King, MCM minimizes waste by transporting all salvageable metal, plastic and glass to recycling centers. In addition, demolished concrete and other stonework is used as fill in other building foundations.

"MCM had to verify, as did the other bidding companies, how, where and what they recycled," King says.

ARCO will begin construction of the new Campus Center later this summer.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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