Demolition begins at Gibbs Hall; Stokely to follow

KNOXVILLE Demolition of Gibbs Hall, the longtime home of University of Tennessees athletes, began Tuesday, with the entire structure expected to be down next month.

The crew will then begin razing Stokely Athletic Center, which is attached to the former dormitory. Footings for the new residence hall will begin as soon as next month, said Bill Pace, a UT architect and the project manager for the site. Sabre Demolition, a New York-based firm, has the $2.44 million contract to raze the buildings.

UT plans to build a 600-bed co-ed residence hall on the east end of the site, a 1,000-space parking garage on Volunteer Boulevard and football practice fields a combined $100 million project that could be complete by 2016.

Stokely and Gibbs were first approved for demolition in July 2012. The arena, on the corner of Volunteer and Lake Loudoun boulevards, was vacated more than a year ago as part of an agreement with the fire marshal because the gyms safety systems, including fire exits paths and sprinklers, were not up to code.

More details as they develop online and in Thursdays News Sentinel.

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Demolition begins at Gibbs Hall; Stokely to follow