From ENMU Communication Services

PORTALES—The razing of Lincoln Hall on the campus of Eastern New Mexico University in Portales will begin on Monday, June 6.

It will take two to three months to bring down and clear the debris, with an estimated cost of $1.7 million, according to Scott Smart, vice president for Business Affairs. Coronado Wrecking and Salvage Company of Albuquerque is bringing the building down.

Built in 1965, Lincoln Hall was a 98,289-square-feet, seven-story dormitory.

In its place an approximately $12 million, two- or three-story residence hall will be constructed, with an anticipated opening in August of 2012. Rooms will have two beds, with each two rooms sharing a bathroom. It will accommodate approximately 320 students, most of whom will be freshmen formerly housed in Bernalillo Hall.

Bernalillo Hall, a seven-story dormitory, will be closed at the time the new residence hall is opened.

“We are excited about the new residence hall,” said Steven Gamble, ENMU president. “It will be a great boon for our growing enrollment and students who want to enjoy the advantages of living on campus. It will be a first-class facility.”

Gamble said that the residence hall will be financed through funds available from a retiring bond that the University has been paying off at $300,000 per year, and the normal room rates paid by the occupants of the new residence hall.

For more information, contact Scott Smart at 575-562-2611.