College Seeking a Long Shot : Education: Staff at Southwest is asked to find a way to keep using building on quake fault. But demolition plans are proceeding.

Loath to tear down half of the only permanent building at Los Angeles Southwest College, trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District on Wednesday asked staff members to explore admittedly remote alternatives while proceeding with demolition plans.

The recent discovery of an earthquake fault beneath two sections of the four-part modular structure has precipitated a crisis for the 6,000-student, largely black college founded in the aftermath of the 1965 uprising in Watts.

Trying to keep the college open without endangering students and staff, officials of the financially pressed district are seeking emergency state funds to put up temporary replacement classrooms and tear down the two affected building sections.

State law prohibits construction of new buildings directly over a fault and forbids modifications to existing buildings in such circumstances. Most seismic safety experts believe there is no way to adequately protect a building atop a fault with the potential for ground surface rupture, although structures near a fault can be reinforced against shaking.

While admitting that finding alternatives is a long shot, trustees said they want to explore the possibilities of getting the law changed to allow the building to be reinforced. Other possibilities suggested were moving the affected sections to a safer part of the 80-acre campus or slicing off the affected portions of the sections.

Meanwhile, district officials are proceeding with plans to abandon the two sections, which include most of the campus’ classrooms, as soon as temporary structures can be rented and installed. Officials want to move into the temporary replacements in March and begin demolition in May.

Chancellor Donald G. Phelps said the district is immediately seeking almost $2.6 million from state college construction bond funds and $856,000 from the governor’s emergency fund. Both requests have cleared at least one house of the Legislature. Officials also want enough money to finish the $8-million relocation and demolition project and to construct an as-yet-unspecified permanent replacement.