Work Starts on Demolition and Rebuilding of New Hancher. Watch Progress on Webcam

Monday will be a big day in the life of the new—and the old—Hancher facilities.

Weather permitting, construction crews working on the new Hancher facility will initiate the project’s single-largest concrete pour around 6 a.m. Monday: 1,400 cubic yards in a single day, to be exact. And around 9 a.m., a wrecking ball will begin dismantling the original Hancher Auditorium.

In the interest of safety, no public access inside the construction fence will be allowed, and the Park Road entrance to the site should be avoided because of heavy construction vehicle traffic. Instead, media and members of the public may view the activity from the eastern edge of the Hancher Commuter Lot above the demolition and construction sites. The lot can be accessed from Riverside Drive.

Additionally, shortly after noon Monday, University of Iowa and Iowa City life and safety officials will participate in an emergency extraction preparedness and safety drill at the site of the 196-foot-tall crane being used for the new Hancher.