The university announced that they will be imploding Carmichael West Tower 3 Saturday, July 27 at 9 a.m. CST. Tower 4 will be coming down later this summer through mechanical demolition, according to the press release.
Layton Construction LLC, the company conducting the current construction on campus in the West End neighborhood, and Controlled Demolition, will oversee Tower 3’s implosion, which is expected to take approximately 7 minutes.
The process will require certain precautions in the area, including temporary road closures the morning of the implosion. There will also be a blast perimeter for bystanders. People in buildings close to the implosion will be asked to evacuate or stay indoors during the process. All restrictions will be lifted following the process. The blocked-off areas for the public, as well as a model of the implosion itself, can be seen in an animation released by the university.
“This implosion is truly a historic moment for our campus,” Vice Chancellor for Administration Eric Kopstain said. “It will allow us to accelerate the demolition of a major structure while a majority of students are away for the summer, minimizing disruptions to campus life.”
The Carmichael Towers West, located on West End between 24th and 25th avenues, each stand at 14 stories high and opened in 1970. The Towers are named for Vanderbilt’s third chancellor, Oliver Cromwell Carmichael.
The removal of Towers 3 and 4 prepares for the continuation of the building of 3 new residential colleges on campus as a part of FutureVU. The remaining towers will be open for the 2019-2020 academic year.
The university will be live-streaming the implosion. The Hustler will be continuing coverage of the event.
