Frost Science Center’s greenhouse to grow elsewhere

For the past 23 years, Frost Science Center’s greenhouse, unobtrusively tucked away on the second floor’s east side, is where botany students have grown and studied plants. Beginning Monday, May 4, it will be relocated to make way for additional classrooms and other learning space.
Volunteers recently moved most of the contents, ranging from succulents to hibiscus, to a Davis Street Building science lab, where they’ll be stored until they can go to their new permanent location at 407 Davis Street. This site also includes a barn, which will be renovated into a storage and planting room.
Meanwhile, notable changes will be taking place at Frost. Myreon Cobb, the University’s Physical Plant director, said about 1,500 square feet will be added to accommodate two 20-seat
classrooms, four small offices and a lounge for the Intensive English Language Program. The space, in turn, will enable removal of modular classrooms located in the parking lot behind the communication and English faculty offices house.
The greenhouse was constructed in 1992, Cobb said, but it has caused problems from the start.
“It looks good from the street, but quite frankly, to put a greenhouse on top of a classroom has been nothing but a pain to us since day one,” said Cobb. Maintenance workers have not been able to keep water from leaking into the classroom below.
Crews are expected to begin taking the greenhouse down piece by piece on Monday, May 4. Weather permitting, construction is scheduled to be finished by mid-August, prior to the start of the fall semester, Cobb said.