The top floors of the old Holiday Inn building on Madison Avenue were taken down one floor at a time. The yearlong demolition project on the University of Tennessee Health Science Center's Memphis campus is moving toward completion, as the parking structure and basement are demolished and backfilled.

Demolition of the old Holiday Inn tower at 969 Madison Avenue on the University of Tennessee Health Science Center's Memphis campus has entered its final phase.

The effort to take down the abandoned building has spanned several years, as funding and preparations were arranged before actual demolition work could commence. Flintco construction company began the $12 million demo in March 2025. The work is expected to be substantially completed in February.

The university purchased the 12-story tower in 2015, along with two smaller adjacent buildings at 955 and 959 Madison. The smaller buildings were the first to be taken down. Because of the age of the building, months of remediation preceded the work on the tower to address environmental and hazardous material issues.

"As of early January, all structural demolition associated with equipment on top of the building has been completed," said Raaj Kurapati, executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer for the university.

Demolition of the top floors was a floor-by-floor process, given the age of the building, how it was constructed, and to ensure any additional remediation needs were considered and managed.

"The remaining above-grade demolition will be accomplished using a high-reach processor, allowing for a controlled, efficient, and safe removal of the remaining structure," he said. "As demolition progresses, the project crane will be utilized to hoist debris netting, providing enhanced protection to surrounding areas and reinforcing overall site safety."

Kurapati said installation of piles is underway for the final phase of the demolition, which involves the parking garage and the basement. Once installed, sheeting will be placed to support excavation of the basement areas. As individual basement sections are fully shored up and backfilled, the sheeting will be removed and reused in other areas of the site. This phased approach will continue until the entire basement perimeter has been demolished, shored, and backfilled, he said.

Immediate plans call for the open space to be used to supplement surface parking once the building is demolished. However, long-range plans could involve using the space to complement a proposed College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building, which could be situated next to that area on the same side of Madison.

"We are excited that we are nearing the completion of this major demolition project," Kurapati said. "This is part of our larger strategy on investment in current and new facilities needed to support our academic, research, and service missions across the state."

The 12-story tower, as it looked when the demolition commenced, was bought by the university in 2015.

Kurapati said the university has also launched an effort to update its institutional Capital Master Plan. "This is informed by a recently completed strategic space utilization study and the programming of the proposed College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building to ensure we are being thoughtful and strategic about the utilization of our current infrastructure and that we ensure that our capital planning effort fully embraces and addresses the needs at all our campuses statewide, including Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville, and other clinical sites across the state," he said.

The campus upgrades support continued improvements that are changing the face of the Memphis Medical District, including the opening of the ALDI grocery store on Union Avenue; the build-out of Orleans Station apartments, a joint effort by the Henry Turley Company and UT Health Sciences; and the potential College of Medicine Building proposed for Madison Avenue.

"A key goal of the Memphis Medical District Collaborative and our anchor institutions is to enhance vibrancy across the Medical District, making it a better place to live, work, learn, and play," said Rory Thomas, president and CEO of the Memphis Medical District Collaborative, which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year. "UT Health Science Center's demolition of the former Holiday Inn clears the way for revitalization and new development that will strengthen and make the district more attractive for years to come."