SAN ANGELO, TX — The demolition of the Concho Hall residence hall, colloquially known as the men's high rise, on the Angelo State University campus has begun, with the completion of the approximately $5.6 million demolition project scheduled to be completed this fall.
Demolition efforts are being led by Lubbock-based Collier Construction and Dallas-based AMX Companies. Phase 1 of the project is underway in the interior of the building and includes the removal of all the scrap metal and other fixtures. It is scheduled to be completed in late May.
Phase 2 of the project to demolish the exterior and concrete frame of the building using a high-reach excavator will begin in late May or early June, with a scheduled completion date in August. Removal of the foundation, back-filling the resulting hole, landscaping, lighting, and other finishing touches are scheduled to be completed in October.
Unlike when Concho Hall's twin high-rise building, University Hall, was demolished via implosion in October 2009, the demolition of Concho Hall will be more traditional, with the building being broken down and hauled off piece by piece.
Angelo State University's Concho Hall
(Credit: Angelo State University)
"It is just more cost-effective to do a conventional demolition," said Cody Guins, ASU executive director of facilities services. "It is also logistically easier. We don't have to worry about protecting all the surrounding buildings. It doesn't have the 'wow factor' of an implosion, but just makes more sense in every aspect to do it in the conventional way."
ASU facilities services personnel will undertake some basic protective measures during the exterior demolition process, including fencing, detouring traffic, protecting windows and air-intake units, etc., particularly for the ASU cafeteria that is right next to Concho Hall.
Concho Hall and University Hall opened in 1968. Each measuring about 104,000 square feet, the men's and women's high-rise residence halls both housed nearly 500 students per semester as they dominated the San Angelo skyline for over four decades. ASU students last resided in Concho Hall in 2017, and several different renovations and then demolition plans were considered. After several studies determined that the building was unsuitable for use as a residence hall or an academic building, ASU officials moved forward with the current demolition plans that are being funded by student housing fees.
In the future, ASU plans to utilize the former Concho Hall site for construction of a Research and Innovation Hub facility, pending funding approval from the state legislature.
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