'Alphabet Soup' is Demolished for New College of Arts & Sciences Building

The sounds of a track hoe smashing into the Lindbergh Academic Complex in March 2012 ushered in a new era for the university, as nearly 100 onlookers gathered to say goodbye to the 1960s-era instructional facility known by
many as the “Alphabet Soup.”

The demolition process began March 14 with university President and CEO John P. Johnson taking the first few strikes at building E, followed by Richard Heist, executive
vice president and chief academic officer of the Daytona Beach Campus. While bittersweet for some, demolishing the five oddly shaped and aging buildings, will clear the way for a highly anticipated 5-story, 140,000-square-foot building dedicated to the College of Arts and Sciences.

“It’s time,” Johnson said amid a crowd of students, alumni, faculty and staff on demolition day. “These buildings have served a wonderful purpose.”

The new building for the college—which produces half of the semester credit hours completed at Embry-Riddle—will be the largest on the Daytona Beach Campus, Johnson said.  

Among the new classrooms, labs, and faculty and office space, the building will feature the largest university-based telescope in the state of Florida to support the college’s astronomy program. It’s going to be a head-turner, Johnson said.

“I think people that drive in here are going to look at the College of Arts and Sciences and are going to say, ‘Wow,’” he said.

It will take about 30 days to demolish the Lindbergh Complex, said Chris Hardesty, director of university planning and construction management. Construction on the new $39.8-million building will start in July and could be complete by May 2014.