Just in:3 died, 4 injured as demolition commence in Tuscaloosa.

Demolition begins on former Tuscaloosa News building

The former Tuscaloosa News building being demolished

The building that was home to The Tuscaloosa News newspaper for 20 years is now in the process of being destroyed.

Demolition on the building, which was built in 2002 after a $30 million commitment from former owner The New York Times Co., began last week. The property, which was bought by the city of Tuscaloosa for nearly $8 million back in 2019, will be home to the Saban Center, a mixed-use facility that would serve the Children’s Hands-On Museum and other local groups.

The Tuscaloosa News had moved into the building in 2002 after spending decades in a former car dealership along Sixth Street.

The staff of the newspaper, which is currently owned by Gannett, moved out of the building in late 2022 and now occupies space in the same building as Dillard’s Chophouse at Temerson Square on Fourth Street.

The building, which was known for its two-story printing press and photos highlighting west Alabama over the years., was the site of many big events for the local newspaper. On April 27, 2011, staff hunkered in the basement of the building as a tornado decimated much of the city and west Alabama. Nonetheless, the staff regrouped, tirelessly reporting on recovery steps in the aftermath. The work, which utilized Twitter as a way to get information out in real time on the devastation, was recognized nationally with a Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News in 2012.

The demolition is set to be completed early next year. The Saban Center is set to be completed sometime in 2027.