Virginia sets date for University Hall demolition

It’s official: University Hall has a demolition date. The University of Virginia announced that “Ralph’s House” will be imploded on May 25 at 10 am. Both Massie and Copeley Roads will feature closures starting at 5:30 am the day of demolition.

From 1965-2006, U-Hall housed the Virginia men’s basketball team, and the women’s team starting in 1973. Dionne Warwick, The Grateful Dead, R.E.M, The Beach Boys, and Elvis Costello — among many others — performed concerts at the historic arena over the decades.

Redemption, Not Boring, Joy Comes in the Morning...we’ve got them all right here. Click through to see these designs and more!

Both teams left for John Paul Jones Arena in 2007, and U-Hall has stood mostly empty since then. Maintaining the building would have cost more than the eventual demolishing (estimated between $12-14 million), an undertaking handled by Renascent, per the press release.

There will be a live video stream of the demolition, housed on Virginia Sports’ Facebook page.

Once the building is demolished, debris will be cleared and grass practice fields will be put down for use by August of 2020. You can find more information about the Virginia Sports Master Plan here.