Wecota Annex on the west side of campus was set for demolition in 2022 after the approval of House Bill 1023, but still nothing has happened.

In 2022 HB 1023 was approved and signed by Gov. Kristi Noem. The bill was originally introduced by the South Dakota Board of Regents and allows South Dakota State University to spend $800,000 to demolish Wecota Annex.

David Law, director of project management & engineering at SDSU, said that this just happens to be a project having to wait its turn.

The demolition of the Wecota Annex is complex, Law said. Currently, the annex basement is also home to the mechanical system providing heating for Wenona Hall. The annex is also connected to the west side of Wecota Hall and shares a stairwell and elevator.

The project of demolition and rebuilding is very resource-and budget-driven said Law. With inflation, the project will need a whole new estimation of price. Law said what he thought would be a rough estimate of $1 to $1.5 million for what was originally planned.

“The project is resource-driven, the budget and cost is high,” Law said. “It would have to be the main priority.”

Wecota Annex back in its day served as a dormitory for students attending the university. This changed once the central campus shifted to the east and southeast end of campus. The Annex was last used as housing for students who tested positive with COVID-19.

“The center of campus has had a lot of new (buildings) in the last 10 plus years and has completely renovated other buildings like Lincoln and Harding Hall,” Law said.

“The Annex is not super central to student traffic,” Law added. “The academic focus has moved and most housing for students is now on the other side of campus.”

With no current plan, Law said he was unsure of when the teardown would happen. When the time does come for the Annex to be torn down there is no immediate plan to rebuild, but for the space to become green space instead.