Demolition begins on 2 towers at Indiana State University

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) – Demolition has started on two 15-story former residence halls at Indiana State University.

The Tribune Star reports a 7,000-pound wrecking ball slammed into one of the Statesman Towers on Monday.

The 160-foot tall towers have been under discussion for more than a decade.

Andy Licht is with Renascent, the company hired to tear down the towers. He said it will take until about mid-October to complete the project, including putting in sidewalks and greenspace.

The demolition will cost $1.9 million. The company is using a crane and wrecking ball. Licht said much of the building’s metal will be recycled.

The Statesman Towers were built in the 1960s as residence halls and later were converted to academic classrooms for the colleges of education and business.