Soil exploration is happening this week at the site of the future Knoxville public safety/city hall building.

The exploration digging will help contractors determine soil conditions for the foundation of the project and is expected to finish at the end of this week. The precast material for the new building is expected to arrive in May and a groundbreaking for the project will happen this spring. City Manager Heather Ussery says the soil exploration is an important step of the process.

“They are going to be determining suitable soil conditions and if we will need rigged aggregate piers as part of this project or if we will be swapping out soil as part of it. Overall this exploration digging is an important step and that will take about three days hopefully to conclude this week and then we will be moving forward one direction or another in regard to the piers.”

The project is off of Highway 14 at the site of the former Knoxville Middle School.