Memorial Gymnasium closed Dec. 6 for renovations, and during the first month of the semester, students have reported frustrations with wait times and difficulty reserving athletic spaces. The current renovations are targeted at improving comfort and accessibility and making necessary maintenance upgrades. Despite these renovations, outdoor recreation spaces around Memorial Gymnasium that are used for intramural sports and soccer — like the outdoor courts and Carr’s Hill Field — will remain open.
The gymnasium has a number of indoor and outdoor features, including general workout equipment and outdoor courts for basketball, beach volleyball, tennis and pickleball. Intramural and club sports practices and events, as well as University-offered fitness classes, are also commonly held in this gym.
Due to the renovations, KLPA and kinesiology fitness classes have moved to other facilities on Grounds, such as Slaughter Recreation Center, while many intramural and club sports groups have also moved to the Aquatic and Fitness Center. The University’s Division I volleyball team, which typically plays at Memorial Gym, will move to North Grounds Recreation Center for the duration of construction.
With the closing of this gym, other fitness centers around Grounds, like Slaughter and AFC, have faced increased student use. Extra equipment from Memorial Gymnasium has been moved to Slaughter to accommodate the uptick in visitors. Due to more recreation space requests, Slaughter has also expanded its Monday-Thursday hours from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. to now remain open from 8 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.
Despite reallocating equipment and moving classes to other gyms, students have been struggling to find space to work out or reserve. Third-year College student Ahmed Ahmed, who frequently used Memorial Gym for recreational volleyball games, said that reserving courts has been difficult, as organizations take priority over courts at the other gyms.
“Clubs and [organizations] have higher priority. So they both take Slaughter or AFC, and that [typically] leaves Memorial for everyone else who wants to play for fun,” Ahmed said. “And now without that, it's way harder to reserve courts. Even last weekend, I got my reservation canceled because an organization reserved it instead.”
The AFC has also seen an increase in visitors as Memorial Gymnasium regulars have had to flock elsewhere. First-year College student Zaina Nasim notes that there have been more crowds and longer wait times at the AFC since Memorial Gymnasium closed.
“It's almost always packed.” Nasim said. “I feel like there's always a wait for the machines now.”
Nasim also expressed that going to the gym now is more difficult and time-consuming than before, because even in the late evening hours, machines like treadmills are unavailable.
“It has definitely made it harder.” Nasim said. “It's made it so that I have to budget more time to go, because I know that it's probably going to take a bit longer than it usually did, considering that I'm probably going to have to wait a little bit.”
The closing comes amid a need for updates and renovations to the century-old gym — which originally opened in 1924 and was last renovated in 2005. During those renovations in 2005, the University installed new bleachers, lighting and sound systems.
According to the renovations report, much of Memorial Gymnasium still does not meet the Americans with Disability Act accessibility standards, specifically with a lack of accessible restrooms and exits. Heating, ventilation, air conditioning and other utilities have also been deemed to be no longer efficient for the large gymnasium space, according to a project overview provided by University spokesperson Bethanie Glover.
The current planned renovations cover a wide scope of needed changes, including the addition of ADA compliant restrooms and ramps, replaced HVAC systems and updated electrical and plumbing. Safety enhancements are also in the works, with a new fire suppression system to be installed.
The report says that the renovations aim to provide lower operating costs with more efficient systems and an enhanced user and educational experience.
These renovations are crucial for maintaining the historical value of the Memorial Gymnasium while ensuring it meets modern standards and continues to serve the UVA community effectively,” the report said.
More modern and well-equipped classrooms used for kinesiology classes will be added to Memorial Gymnasium, alongside better lights and additional changes to create a more “comfortable environment.”
According to Glover, the funding of Memorial Gymnasium’s renovations comes from maintenance funds in the University's Major Capital Plan — a budget that approves and funds certain maintenance projects that cost over $5 million.
With Memorial Gymnasium expected to be closed for more than a year, gyms across Grounds may continue to face longer wait times and larger crowds than before. Renovations are expected to be completed by fall 2026.
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