Story (09-08-2004)

Losing a piece of Y‑12's past

By Paul Parson, Oak Ridger Staff —A 60-year-old building - used primarily for administrative purposes and possibly the last of a specific design - is scheduled to be demolished this month as part of an ongoing modernization effort at Oak Ridge's nuclear weapons plant. Building 9704‑2 is likely the sole intact survivor of the H-shaped structures the U.S. Army constructed in the 1943 to 1944 time frame for use as dormitories or offices, according to Bill Wilcox, who used to work at the Oak Ridge Y‑12 Plant and authored a book on its history.

"From the air, 9704‑2 and all its many counterparts looked exactly like the letter H," he explained. "It was wartime and so very efficient to use the same plans and material suppliers over and over again." According to Wilcox, the buildings had two, two-story wings and were connected by a corridor that often contained a furnace, laundry area and community bathrooms - among other things. He said men's dormitories in this design were located "along the little rise where Ridgeview is now" while similar structures for women's living quarters were situated between what is now the Bleu Hound Grille and Jackson Plaza.

In addition to the townsite and Y‑12, the H-shaped buildings were constructed at the other two Oak Ridge Department of Energy facilities.

Building 9704‑2's role as Y‑12's administration building began in 1954, with the appointment of John P. Murray as Y‑12's plant superintendent, according to Wilcox. And, when Clarence Larson oversaw all the Oak Ridge facilities through Union Carbide Nuclear Division, he decided to move his corporate office into the Y‑12 administration building, which later housed other top officials.

"The other significant change in 9704‑2 occupants took place during the late 1980s when the government (DOE) decided they wanted to have an on-site presence at each of their facilities, and that space be made available in the main administration buildings for their people," Wilcox stated. Ray Smith, who works in the Y‑12 National Security Complex's Infrastructure Reduction program, said there's been "substantial and significant" use since of 9704‑2 for the past 50 years. He said the building has housed around 100 people at any given time.

Until a couple of months ago, administrative offices for BWXT Y‑12 and the National Nuclear Security Administration were both housed in 9704‑2. BWXT Y‑12 manages the weapons plant for the NNSA - the quasi-independent agency within DOE that oversees the nuclear weapons complex.

The contractor and federal employees were relocated for the time being so crews could start the process of removing 9704‑2 from the plant's footprint. Y‑12 is in the midst of a modernization effort that includes the demolition of hundreds of structures.

In the case of 9704‑2, Scott Hood, manager of Y‑12's Infrastructure Reduction program, cited problems with the building's wooden structure and high maintenance costs. "It's just becoming an old building," he said.

Jim Blair, project manager for Y‑12's Infrastructure Reduction program, said he expects the actual demolition will occur in the middle of this month, with Eagle Construction and Environmental Services under contract to do that job as well as remove asbestos and building debris from the site. There are 20 to 30 people directly employed by Eagle on this project on any given day.

"We're committed to get this facility down by the end of the fiscal year (Sept. 30)," Blair said.

A parking area will be developed on the land currently housing 9704‑2. And, on a hillside just north of the administration building, there are plans to build a 450,000-square-foot, privately financed facility that will contain office space for 1,200 people.

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Source: The Oak Ridger (September 8, 2004).