Out with the old

Work has begun to prepare Mitchell, Cottingham and Richardson residence halls at Louisiana Tech University for upcoming demolition. Replacement student housing buildings are under construction next door on Tech Drive, with two of them slated to open for the fall quarter this year.

Pictured is a pile of debris emptied out from inside Cottingham Hall. Demolition of the old dorms will reportedly be carried out in a piecemeal fashion because asbestos was found within the walls. Officials said the goal is to have the buildings safely brought down by the time students return to the new structures for the fall.