Former meth-lab renovated by mother to honor slain UA bicyclist

When graduate student George Kalli transferred from his home in Anchorage, Alaska to the UA, he was not sure what to expect. He researched the city, registered for classes and secured living arrangements as close to campus as possible.

Little did he know that the house he found on the UA Campus Housing Web page had so much significance to the UA and Tucson communities.

The house, 2440 E. Lester Rd., has been a work in progress since April, when Melinda Preston bought it with the idea of turning it into a memorial for her son Matthew and providing inexpensive housing for UA graduate students.

Matthew Preston, a molecular and cellular biology graduate who was working on a doctorate in genetics, died on Oct. 3, 2001 after being hit by a passing motorist while riding his bicycle home from work. The house is near the spot where he died and is marked by a roadside memorial that has been repeatedly vandalized.

At the time, the 2,700-square foot structure was dilapidated, once used as a drug house and methamphetamine lab. It stood vacant for years before Preston purchased it. When she first opened the doors and started working on the house, she had to dispose of syringes and other drug paraphernalia that was left by squatters.

Some of the hardest work involved cleaning out the room that was used as a meth lab, the same room that Kalli has moved into. Preston said she had to dig out putty from the window frames and repair walls burnt from the chemical processing of drugs.

Preston, a nurse practitioner at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, has worked on the house nearly every weekend since she purchased it, usually sleeping in one of the bedrooms on a portable cot. Her surroundings have changed drastically as she repairs and paints over years of neglect while creating this memorial to her son.

She admits the undertaking has been tough.

"I've painted nearly every surface in that house," she said "I've worked on the wiring, pulled out the carpets and fixed the cabinets."

Now, after four months of arduous work, Preston is inching closer to her dream. Kalli, a 32 year-old student who transferred to the UA to take course work for his master's of engineering degree, now resides in a furnished room with crisp white walls, new carpet and working windows ÷ a far cry from the meth lab used by previous inhabitants.

After learning about the history behind the house, Kalli said he was amazed by the work Preston has done so far.

"It works out well for everybody," he said. "I couldn't believe that I found a house this close to campus for this price that is furnished. It's a great place."

While Preston admits there is still much work to be done, she is happy to see that the house is now serving its intended purpose.

Although Kalli is the first resident of the five-bedroom house, Preston said there is at least one other graduate student on the way. With the help of Tucson volunteers who have donated their time and money in the past few months, Preston said she could be ready for even more students within a month.

She also hopes the house will be finished soon for the sake of the future

residents and for the sake of her own pocketbook. Utilities on the house cost at least $500 a month, which is roughly the rent that Kalli is currently paying.

But Preston is not willing to sacrifice student's living environments in order to alleviate financial burdens.

"I want this to be finished before they come," she said. "Not partially finished. It needs to be ready for students when they arrive."

The four other bedrooms are still being renovated, as is the living room. Kalli doesn't mind the construction and is just happy to have found a place on such short notice. He was transferred to the UA by his employer, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to take engineering classes not offered at other universities.

"It just worked out really well," he said. "The whole transfer happened on short notice at the end of the summer."

But in all, Preston says she is happy to see the progress of the house and how it has helped one UA graduate student so far. In the future, she hopes to house students rent-free, a lasting memorial for her son and a benefit for others.