TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama’s Rose Towers will be demolished July 4 to make way for a new residence hall to be built near the same site.
The building will be imploded at approximately 8 a.m. Jack Warner Parkway, Hackberry Lane and Old Hackberry Lane will be closed in the vicinity of Rose Towers beginning at 6:30 a.m. and are expected to reopen one to two hours after the implosion. Walking trails in the Park at Manderson Landing will also be closed in areas close to the demolition site as will campus pedestrian traffic. The Black Warrior River will also be closed to boat traffic around the time of the demolition.
A public viewing area will be available in the Riverside East parking lot. Parking will be available in the parking lots around Shelby Hall and at the Campus Drive parking deck. Visitors should take Hackberry Lane from University Boulevard to reach the parking areas.
Visitors should be aware that the implosion will demolish the building in a matter of seconds; however, the atmosphere will be very dusty for 10 to 15 minutes following the implosion. Those with respiratory ailments should take precautions.
Built in 1969, Rose Towers has been home to thousands of students, and it also housed a child care center for many years. It will be replaced by the second phase of the Presidential Village Residential Community, which is expected to open in August 2014. The first phase of Presidential Village, scheduled to open this August, is under construction at the corner of Old Hackberry Lane and Jack Warner Parkway.
Contact
University Relations, 205/348-5320, cbryant@ur.ua.edu