Jefferson Complex and Sander Hall

The Master Plan set the wheels in motion for the development of the Jefferson Quad. Low-rise dorms, with architecture to complement the Tangeman University Center and Nippert Stadium, were to be constructed in small clusters with plenty of space between them. They replaced what had been tennis courts. This continued the theme of getting away from the trend of large, imposing buildings that had been the norm since the 1950s.[1] The Jefferson Complex, completed in 2002 at a cost of $39 million, contains both the Turner and Schneider dorms. All together, they have around 570 beds, all in suite-style living with a bathroom and living room shared among four residents. These were the first new dorms to be built on campus since 1971.[2]

The last dorm constructed prior to the Master Plan was Sander Hall. It sat roughly where the indoor practice field is today, right in the middle of what is now West Charlton Street.[3] Built in 1971, Sander was UC’s first coed dorm. Its history is marred by vandalism, frequent pulling of the fire alarms, pushing vending machines into open elevator shafts, and several attempted suicides by jumping from the roof. After 1982, when the University quit making second year students who lived more than 50 miles away live on campus, there was no longer a need for Sander Hall and it sat vacant for almost a decade.[4] The picture to the right illustrates Sander’s domineering appearaence: it dwarfs the Old St. George’s Church, which is not a small building in its own right.

In 1991, the University decided to remove Sander Hall, ending the era of huge, high-rise building dominance on campus. Sander’s implosion testifies to how committed the University was to cleaning up campus. It freed up open space that helped to humanize that side of campus.[5] At 26 stories tall, Sander was the tallest and youngest building to ever be imploded in the United States. Its implosion was covered live by local news networks and people crowded the streets around the building to watch it go down. The university even got in on the hype by selling postcards depicting the event, such as the one to the left. When the building fell, it generated a much larger

cloud of dust than was anticipated, sending people scrambling through the streets and leaving a coating of dust for blocks around.[6] Many feared that asbestos in the dust cloud would pose a severe health risk. One lawyer argued that, even though the University paid to have asbestos removed before the implosion, there was still asbestos in materials left inside the building.[7] Air testing in the two days directly after the implosion found no asbestos, indicating that there was not as much left in the building as some had feared.[8] Sander’s dining hall, a separate building adjacent to Sander, near Daniels Hall, is currently being renovated. The Master Plan originally called for it to be renovated as an attractive dining hall, featuring outdoor seating, but that did not happen.[9] It is now labeled as its address, 60 West Charlton, on campus maps.[10] However, many of the entrances are still labeled “Sander Dining.” It currently houses the African American Culture & Resource Center as well as at least one computer classroom.

[1] University of Cincinnati, Master Plan Update I, (Hargreaves Associate, 1995), p. 38.

[2] Dawn Fuller, "University of Cincinnati News: Jefferson Complex," University of Cincinnati, September 16 2002

[3] Parking Regulations and University Map, University Publications, 1986.

[4] Ben L Kaufman, "UC to Build New 'Sander'" The Cincinnati Enquirer, January 31, 2001.

[5] University of Cincinnati, Master Plan Update I, (Hargreaves Associate, 1995), p. 8.

[6] “Sander Hall Implosion.” YouTube. (accessed Oct. 2, 2011). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXPS1nAFv58

[7] “Demolition Raises Fears over Asbestos,” The Plain Dealer, June 6, 1991.

[8] “Early Air Samples from Demolition Asbestos Free,” The Plain Dealer, June 25, 1991.

[9] University of Cincinnati, Master Plan Update I, (Hargreaves Associate, 1995), p. 38.

[10] "Uptown West Campus Map." University of Cincinnati. (accessed Oct. 5, 2011). http://www.uc.edu/content/dam/common/docs/maps/campus_map_west.pdf