The UA demolished the first of seven houses on East Sixth Street yesterday to make way for a new surface parking lot.

The University of Arizona hired Barnett and Shore Contractors to put the house on 829 E. Sixth St. under the crane and haul away the pieces.

The bulk of the wood frame and stucco house, which was built in 1910, was removed yesterday, but contractors will continue to work at the site until Friday, said Steve Brigham, UA's community affairs director.

So far, Brigham said, there has been no protest from area residents.

"When we were discussing the situation with the neighbors, they believed this house should be the first to be removed," he said. "It's been vacant for a long time."

Seven houses in the 800-900 block of East Sixth Street will be removed to make room for a 172-space parking lot. The university owns four of the seven homes.

Last month, the Arizona Board of Regents approved the university's request to acquire the three properties at 835-837, 841 and 843 E. Sixth St. The property at 841 has been purchased, and the UA is continuing negotiations with the other two owners.

The regents also approved the UA's request to grant William Kennedy, who owns the property at 835-837 E. Sixth St., a "life estate." The university would own the property but would not take possession until Kennedy's death. Until then, he and his wife would remain in the house.

After the board's decision last month, Kennedy said that he did not want a life estate and did not want to sell the property.

Brigham said the demolished house has never been a concern to the university. It has been owned by the UA since October 1986.

The university conducted a historical survey in October 1995 and inventoried architectural features, said David Duffy, UA's campus facilities and planning director.

"The report concluded the two structures at 829 and 903 were architecturally non-significant," Duffy said. "We conducted detailed interior surveys to determine if there were any materials worthy of salvaging for potential use in residential rehabilitation efforts."

Duffy said such materials would have been turned over to the neighborhood association to be reincorporated into the area. Campus facilities and planning found no such usable material, Duffy said.

A news release states that the university hopes to complete the new parking lot by the opening of the fall 1996 semester.