Repairs to the Benson Building, which houses the Institute for Women’s Studies, won’t happen anytime soon in light of University budget cuts. But the building has a long history of needing work, reports show.

Benson’s maintenance needs totaled $63,133 in the fiscal years 2007 and 2008, a service report from the Physical Plant shows.

Between July and December 2006, seven work orders were placed to fix or restore the ceiling and roof. Four of the orders were placed in September and October alone. Within a three month period – between April and July of this year – seven more work orders were placed for similar repairs to the roof.

Broken, overflowing or clogged toilets were reported on 18 separate occasions between September 2006 and June of this year.

On Jan. 9, 2007, mice and rats were reported, and in March 2007, a water leak and broken back door were reported.

In March, a request to replace carpeting was cancelled “with note that outside walls needed to be repaired before replacement” and a “chronic malodor problem” was reported twice in April.

Dysfunctional gas heaters and air conditioning units solicited 12 work orders during the two-year period from July 2006 to July of this year.

On May 27, mites were reported in the offices.

“We know we need to find another location” for Benson, said Provost Arnett Mace. Mace said he met with Tim Burgess, senior vice president for the office of finance and administration to discuss alternatives. On Oct. 11, women’s studies students rallied outside the Benson building with signs to relocate.

“We have not yet had the opportunity to talk with [University President Michael Adams],” he said.

Mace said he was unsure he will meet with Adams but said he could provide a more definitive answer in the next two weeks.As for the old Lamar Dodd building, Mace said a move there would only be temporary and wants a permanent relocation.

In the meantime, the highest priority work to the Benson Building that has been deferred since March is the replacement of rotten siding and framework on the south side of the building, according to a Physical Plant report.

In March, requests to replace the wall were cancelled “with note” that the building “needed major repairs before this work was to be done.”

“The Physical Plant wanted to repair the exterior,” Mace said, “but they didn’t want to disrupt classes.”

In fact, it was Women’s Studies Director Chris Cuomo who requested that the work order be deferred to May 2009, said Tom Satterly, assistant vice president for the Physical Plant, because the noise would distract students.

To restore the rotting wall – estimated to cost $20,000 – the Physical Plant reported the south wall would have to be replaced and re-insulated.

Maintenance workers would also have to remove and replace utilities “as necessary” and build a retaining wall to protect against flooding.

The delay of this project is a reason why asbestos remained in the Benson Building when classes began in August.

But a rotting wall may not be the Women’s Studies Institute’s only delayed repair this year if work orders continue to flow in as the University puts building maintenance on the back burner.

Satterly said the Physical Plant created an initiative to routinely inspect buildings, so a problem building such as Benson might be detected before its inhabitants suffer the consequences.

But the initiative has been deferred due to budget cuts.

Satterly said the Physical Plant will resume building inspections “when budget is restored.”

But, he said, “I don’t expect it this year.”