TTU Competing For Demo Funding To Tear Down Foster Hall

Tennessee Tech will be competing for a special round of state funding to demolish Foster Hall.

Capital Projects Director Jim Cobb said the Tennessee Higher Education Commission has put together a package of buildings statewide that institutions have on its demolition list.

“Demolition is treated similar to new construction,” Cobb said. “It’s a different type of funding that the state has. It’s capital improvement funding or some refer to it as capital outlay. That funding is a little bit tougher to get approval for.”

Cobb said the master plan calls for the building blue print to return to a green space. Cobb said tearing down the old chemistry building will save the university some $500,000.

“As long as the building is standing, it’s costing the state money to maintain that building at some level,” Cobb said. “You can’t just close the doors and walk away. We still have to maintain the facility.”