By Ben Jenkins, Staff Writer 

The University of Cincinnati plans to demolish the infamous Crosley Tower in the coming weeks.

Because the 16-story tower was constructed with a single pour of concrete, contractors will have to deconstruct the tower floor by floor. Demolition is set to be finished by February of 2027.

Crosley Tower, formerly a research center of UC’s College of Arts and Sciences, has been put on many “Ugly College Building” lists over the years. Although there has been much negativity surrounding the tower’s appearance, it has some fans.

Many see it as an iconic building on UC’s campus. In 2020, Cincinnati Magazine included it in a list of iconic Cincinnati architecture.

 “I don’t think there will be anything like Crosley Tower,” 2022 UC graduate Anna Hargan said.

A lot of the love for the tower comes from the building’s history. It was constructed in 1969 by A.M. Kinney Associates, a Cincinnati architecture firm. In the mid to late 20th century, brutalist architecture was trending throughout the world.

Concrete walls with little windows quickly became out of style in the United States. As UC has moved towards more modern and functional buildings, Crosley Tower stuck out like a sore thumb. 

In 2018, when the plans for the demolition were originally constructed, university officials cited numerous reasons for the plan. 

Of course, the look of the tower was always going to be a driving force in the deconstruction of Crosley Tower. 

“It looks like a concrete Pez Dispenser”, first year student at the UC, Conner Hiss said. 

Along with the aesthetic of the building, there were many structural and functionality issues with Crosley Tower. 

In the original 2018 announcement about the tower it was stated there were many problems with the exterior of the building. The concrete walls began to crumble because of poor maintenance over the years.

The inside of Crosley Tower was not much better. Leaky ceilings and a sinking foundation added to the concerns with the building.

The functionality of the building was lackluster as well. The long time home of many chemistry and biology labs for the university became outdated. Due to the nature of the construction it was almost impossible for Crosley Tower to be renovated.

The university has plans for the site where the tower stands. As all of the research facilities in the building have been moved off campus there will need to be a new home for chemistry and biology labs at UC.

A $215 million facility will take the place of the tower in the near future. The new building will house much of the STEM programs on campus and will be roughly 200,000 square feet.

The demolition of Crosley Tower marks the end to a controversial chapter in UC history while making way for new academic and research facilities.