A county building in downtown Knoxville suffered a structure failure and must now be torn down.

In an emergency session Sunday, the Marion County Board of Supervisors gave the County Maintenance Department permission to hire a contractor that will demolish the building located at 113 and 115 Third Street on the Knoxville Square.
Over the weekend, the building suffered a partial collapse that left a large hole at its base.
The businesses near the structure were ordered to evacuate and some utilities were shut off until the area is deemed safe. After the contractor takes a look at the building, a timeline for how long it will take to tear it down will be established and businesses affected by the demolition will be notified of how long until they can return to their buildings.
Third Street between Main and Robinson will remain closed until the building can be demolished.