The Physiology Building, located on the Thach Concourse, is scheduled for demolition by the summer of 2013 after the construction of a new Biodiversity Learning Center, according to Auburn Facilities Management.
Home to Auburn's Museum of Natural History, the building holds hundreds of thousands of specimens, including collections of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, invertebrates and fishes.
Built in 1922, nearly 40 years prior to the establishment of Auburn University, the building's age is noticeable.
"I'm used to it, but I think that most people's first reactions when they come in here is they realize it's really under-maintained," said Claire Floyd, acting assistant curator of herpetological collections.
Forrest Cortes, sophomore in wildlife ecology and management, has volunteered in the herpetology department of the museum for more than a year.
"It's a little dated," Cortes said. "I think that there could potentially be some health concerns with the building, but it'll be nice when we get a new building."
Floyd said she is excited about the relocation of the collections and hopes the change will attract new and curious visitors.
"It's supposed to be a really nice facility," Floyd said. "We'll have rooms for all the collections, and it should be more accessible for people to come in and view the collections."
For those who work there, the want for a new building is more than cosmetic.
"I like working there because it's just kind of cool to see all of the diversity of the species we work with, but it's just kind of frustrating sometimes with the old building because we have a lot of leaks, light fixture fallings, annoyances throughout the building," Cortes said.
Although Facilities Management assures the building is safe, Floyd said she doesn't always feel comfortable.
"When it rains, we get scared it's going to collapse," she said.
Facilities Management is nearing the design completion for the new Biodiversity Learning Center and expects to receive construction bids by the end of March.
The new facility will be built between Rouse Life Sciences and M. White Smith Hall, placing the faculty and researchers from the physiology department closer to the rest of the biology department.
"We've been organizing it and trying to get it all ordered so we can have it ready when we finally make the move," Cortes said, referring to the 40,000 reptile and amphibian specimens that make up the herpetology collection.
Once the move is complete, a green space will occupy the footprint of the Physiology Building.
"We all have a bond to the building," Cortes said. "It'll be a sad day for all of us."
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