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The laurel oak that stood at the entrance of the Williams Center met its demise at some point Saturday night or Sunday morning.
A huge section of the tree broke away and fell to the ground, covering portions of the sidewalk and leaving the area in front of the Builders of the University Terrace unsafe.
“The Williams laurel oak was rotten and with this dangerous situation we will have to remove the tree,” Dennis Pope, a horticulturalist and arborist with Georgia Southern, said. “It is a nice, historical tree, but the safety of students is more important. The tree will have to come down.”
Pope offered two words of warning for those that travel through that area.
“Stay away,” he said. “Do not get within 100 feet of this. The limb that is 15 feet in the air probably weighs over a ton. If it cracks on somebody, they will be dead. It is an extremely dangerous situation.”
According to University Police officer Craig Wildi, the damage was discovered around noon Sunday afternoon. He suggested students avoid the area altogether and finding alternate routes to classes.
“The police tape is up for your safety. Please do not go underneath it … because the tree is very unstable,” Wildi said.
Clean up of the tree began Sunday around 3 p.m.
According to Pope, the tree should be “safetied” by the contractor Sunday afternoon.
“A labor supervisor will monitor progress and make sure it is safe by the end of the day, weather permitting,” Pope said.
The tree removal should be completed Monday, if not Sunday afternoon.
UPDATE: The branches that were hanging have now been removed. A portion of the tree still remains and should be removed Monday according to officials.
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