University of Hawaii officials have abruptly ordered the evacuation of a flood-damaged building on the Manoa campus due to fears that it could collapse.

Gartley Hall, an older two-story building that houses the Department of Psychology, was to be closed to faculty, staff, and students after Friday, according to an emergency notice issued yesterday.

But an email today said worsening conditions have forced an immediate evacuation. Those working in the building have been told to take home anything needed to continue their work in the short term. The university will then reportedly hire movers to finish clearing the building.

It’s another symptom of the backlog of long-deferred repairs and maintenance on the campus.

Department and faculty offices, research labs, and a number of classrooms are affected. The department has about 20 faculty and 100 graduate students.

The basement of the building was flooded in December 2008 with about a foot of water. Several basement rooms were damaged and have been vacant and unused since then.

Last week, preparations were being made to move two research projects from the basement to temporary space upstairs in order to install 12×12 columns to shore up damaged walls. But when work started, the structural damage was determined to be more extensive than previously believed and an order given to evacuate the entire building.

Staff were told they must leave the building and remove any essential materials by Friday.

One professor who inspected the basement last week said bluntly, “the building may fall down.”

“The walls (in the basement) look like cooked oatmeal in at least 5 rooms. The plaster is bowing and flexing and crumbling. It has a wet oatmeal look.”

The university already faces a shortage of office space, and relocating an entire department on short notice will not be easy. Classroom space is already at a premium, and relocating classes will be another headache. It is another serious financial blow to the Manoa campus, which already faces the most serious financial crunch in its history.

Gartley Hall is one of the original campus buildings, shown here in a 1922 photo. It is named after Alonzo Gartley, a key figure in the history of Hawaiian Electric, an executive with C. Brewer & Co., and chairman of the first UH Board of Regents.