KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The University of Tennessee said many of the buildings that were in need of repairs after severe cold swept through East Tennessee in late December have either been repaired or are undergoing repairs.
They said the most common kind of damage was from busted coils and water lines that drained water down into the rooms sitting underneath. They said impacted students in UT Housing were offered the choice to relocate to other on-campus housing to be released from their housing contract.
UT said that one student chose to stay with on-campus housing, and they said the other affected students found different housing options off-campus. They also created a map people could use to identify damaged buildings and track the progress of repairs.
Some of the damaged buildings were at the Delta Zeta, Alpha Chi Omega and Phi Mu houses. UT said crews would work on repairs to the Alpha Chi Omega building with the goal of reopening common areas in the spring. They also said students are expected to move back into the house for fall 2023.
They said students living in the Delta Zeta sorority house moved in over the weekend. They also said no residents at the Phi Mu sorority house were displaced, but there were some minor water stains from a roof leak.
According to UT, repairs to rooms in North Carrick and South Carrick dormitories were completed and students had the chance to move back in over the weekend for the spring semester. They said there was still some minor work in the common area to be completed.
The TRECS building was also damaged from the cold weather, and UT said crews will work throughout the spring semester to repair damaged rooms in it. Some of those repairs include work on drywall and on the floors.
They also said they confirmed with the Facilities Services Department that every classroom scheduled to hold class was ready to go for the first day of the semester.