Despite recent information listing Abrams Planetarium as possibly being demolished, Planetarium Director David Batch said those plans are "outdated."

A Dec. 11 map shows the "potential demolition" of the planetarium as part of the 2020 Vision plan, which serves as a blueprint for university plans to retain the campus historical and academic atmosphere. The "Building Opportunity Framework" map was given to the MSU Board of Trustees in January.

However, Batch said the plan, in terms of the overall 2020 Vision, is "minuscule."

"The term 'demolition' there just means it would be moved," Batch said. "It's kind of a funny term, but it's appropriate for what would happen at this location. That's all it ever meant.

"The problem with a long-range plan for the planetarium is that without roads leading to us, it will be hard to attract visitors."

The current facility is located on Shaw Lane, across from the Chemistry Building.

"It might be advantageous to get it out of the center of campus," said Campus Planner Steve Troost. "It wouldn't get removed until there's a placement facility, but there's no project to move forward on it."

Public accessibility, school bus circulation and relocating classes taught at the planetarium posed problems for university officials.

"The classrooms and the use of the departments close by is probably a stronger tether than we anticipated," Troost said. "We continue to talk about, possibly from an operational standpoint, it would benefit to move. But we understand classes will keep it there for awhile."

Lab classes, such as "Visions of the Universe," are taught in the planetarium, and Mark Voit, a physics and astronomy associate professor, said the facility is vital to these courses.

"We have this course that has 500 students a semester using the planetarium every week," Voit said. "There are things you can do in the planetarium that you can't just do anywhere else — especially if you're trying to teach constellations in Michigan. You can't just rely on the weather."

The visualization in the dome is much better than some PowerPoint slide, he added.

"The planetarium is a unique source," Voit said. "That's why we bother having classes there."

The site discussed by university officials is located next to the Observatory and the Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education on Forest Road.

"It made some sense, but with the Pavilion (for Agriculture and Livestock Education) out there, it would be difficult," Batch said. "When we're active with the public, they're active with the public. We'd be fighting for space with cars."

Batch added that if the project should get underway, it wouldn't be until "way in the future."

"Nothing's impossible," Batch said. "But that's certainly not the thinking as of now. The dome itself is not moveable, and the rest of the building would not be worth moving even if you could.

"It is on that one (map), but it's not the latest thinking. There are much bigger things (university officials) are dealing with."