Crews broke ground on UT Knoxville's Tickle College of Engineering's new building this week.
The 228,000-square-foot building, which has not been named yet, is expected to cost $129 million. The complex was funded by $90 million from the state, close to $29 million from university sources and roughly $10 million from private donors.
According to the college of engineering, it will house the nuclear engineering department, the Jerry E. Stoneking engage™ Engineering Fundamentals program, the Joseph C. and Judith E. Cook Grand Challenge Honors program, the Min H. and Yu-Fan Kao Innovation and Collaboration Studio (ICS), and many other laboratories for advanced engineering research.
The new building will allow nuclear engineering students to have more opportunities to conduct research with laboratories, classrooms, research space, and equipment they couldn't house in Pasqua Hall.
The college of Engineering hopes the new building serves as a "Gateway to Engineering" and presents a new look for the university by creating a new entrance for campus by the Hill and areas nearby.
“This building is the latest sign of both our growth and our university’s commitment to providing the best experience possible for our students,” said Dean Wayne Davis. “We will be able to enhance the educational journey of our honors students and our freshmen, and we will finally be able to have our nuclear engineering department be in a building worthy of their nationally recognized status.”
The project is expected to come together alongside the first phase of new improvements slated for Neyland Stadium, which will also begin in 2018.