After years of planning and maneuvering offices around campus, the wrecking ball finally swung Wednesday to begin demolishing Bowling Green State University’s administration building. 

Throughout the morning, demolition crews made preparations to begin battering the building, which has stood since 1961 and has served as the BGSU president’s headquarters and housed many other administrative offices throughout the past 60 years.

University officials say demolition of the 10-story building is expected to last roughly four weeks, during which time Thurstin Avenue will be closed to incoming traffic near Wooster Street, as will a nearby parking lot.

Crews will halt demolition Dec. 13-17 during the university's final exam week. 

The roughly $1.9 million demolition project was approved by trustees earlier this year as part of plans to revert the space back to an open-air plaza with a new gateway similar to the one the administration building replaced in the 1960s. The new parklike setting will also include a water feature along with new trees and fresh landscaping.

Faculty and staff moved out of the building throughout spring 2021 in preparation for the demolition.

“This is the last step in our campus master plan 1.0. — to bring down the administration building, which was the original connection between the city of Bowling Green and what was then the city park, which was donated to create Bowling Green State University,” BGSU President Rodney Rogers said Wednesday. “So for me, symbolically, that building coming down and the reopening of our connection with the city — it is about making sure we all understand as a public university that we are absolutely connected to our communities.”

BGSU trustees are expected to vote in December on the final design and budget for the new campus gateway’s construction, which is expected to be completed next spring.

First Published November 10, 2021, 11:15 p.m.