Demolition begins on WWU’s Carver Gym

Demolition has begun on a project to renovate Western Washington University’s Sam Carver Gymnasium, home for the Vikings sports teams as well as classes and labs.

The full cost of the construction project has been estimated at $73 million and is scheduled to be completed by spring 2017, said WWU spokesman Paul Cocke. While the project has been in the planning stage for nearly a decade, the state Legislature provided $70 million in its capital budget during the 2015 session. Western will need to pay back $6 million over a time frame yet to be determined.