After standing at the south end of Weber State University’s campus for decades, Promontory Tower will be torn down in the coming weeks.

Crews are removing asbestos from the building and preparing for the start of the deconstruction process.

John Kowalewski, executive director of University Communications at WSU, said the demolition process will be a slow piece-by-piece deconstruction of the dormitory.

He said that after removing asbestos from the building, Promontory Tower would be used for training by local SWAT teams and fire departments, which happened last week. Kowalewski said demolition will begin soon.

“The next step is to undertake basically a piece-by-piece, very systematic demolition of the building,” Kowalewski said. “It won’t be like you come back one day and there’s a big wrecking ball taking it all down.”

The contractor responsible for the demolition will arrive on campus this Wednesday, and deconstruction of outlaying buildings of the Promontory Tower complex will begin shortly after.

“They will bring their equipment and start setting up on Wednesday,” Kowalewski said, “and then the first steps will be taking down what they call the outlaying, or low-lying, buildings around Promontory Tower, such as equipment sheds and so forth.”

Following the deconstruction of those buildings, the crews will begin working on tearing down Promontory Tower itself.

“Crews will then begin demolishing the building from the top down,” Kowalewski said. “The top three floors of the building will be the first ones demolished.”

Kowalewski said the contractor does not have an exact time frame for when they will begin demolishing the Promontory Tower, or how long the process will take.

The new building that will be built in the place of Promontory Tower will complete the new Wildcat Village on WSU’s campus. Wildcat Village is replacing the old housing units of LaSal Hall, Wasatch Hall, Stansbury Hall and Promontory Tower.

The construction of the new dorms, which will cost $32 million, will be funded through student fee revenue bonds, private gifts and other sources, such as housing program revenues.

Wildcat Village housing will feature activity lounges, laundry rooms, dining services and recreational facilities.