Today began the demolition of long-standing Apartment Residence Hall, commonly referred to as Andy Holt. Although crews have only broken into a top corner so far, the visible demolition is only the beginning.

Apartment Residence Hall is but the first of several residence halls the university plans to demolish within the next few years. This particular complex would have cost more to renovate and bring up to modern standards than it will cost to rebuild.

Frank Cuevas, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Executive Director of University Housing, detailed in a report by the Knoxville News Sentinel that extensive repairs would have been necessary to extend the old complex’s life.

According to Cuevas, heating, air-conditioning, and Wi-Fi renovations were needed, and these repairs would have necessitated even lower ceilings than the interior already possessed.

Apartment Residence Hall’s demolition adds another housing project to the multiple sites already in progress at the university.

It is unknown whether the university plans for a full demolition or if the site will house a new building in the near future.

The Daily Beacon will provide more updates on Apartment Residence Hall’s demolition throughout the week.