Demolition on remaining McClung building to begin in 2-4 days

By SAMANTHA MANNING 6 News Reporter

KNOXVILLE (WATE) - Knoxville city officials say demolition of the remaining McClung warehouse building is set to begin in two to four days.

At a press conference Thursday afternoon, officials say complete cleanup and removal should take four to five weeks at a cost of $127,000. A contractor will be on site Thursday night to assess the property.

A report was released Thursday by structural engineering firm National Resource Management, with the conclusion that the remaining McClung warehouse building is at risk of a "cascading structural failure."

A massive fire broke out early Saturday, which burned through one of the buildings of the historic property on the corner of Broadway and Jackson Avenue. The Knoxville Fire Department demolished that building and the remaining one is set for demolition, though a timeline is unclear.

The report says the roof beams in building four are near collapse and adds: "If a cascading structural failure were to occur, it could destabilize the walls and possibly cause a complete building collapse."

The firm conducted a structural evaluation Tuesday from the Jackson Avenue level and from a Knoxville Fire Department ladder truck.

While building four was seem to be still fully standing, there were signs of extensive damage to the roof, with several areas where the roof was open and charred. Significant failure of roof beams was noted in those areas.

The report recommends demolishing what remains of building five and all of building four. It also recommends not reopening Jackson Avenue for public access or allowing people to return to the businesses and homes on the south side of the street until the building is demolished or stabilized.

The report was released the same day that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was used to survey the damage on the remaining building.

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Demolition on remaining McClung building to begin in 2-4 days