UH Manoa begins Hale Noelani demolition

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The University of Hawaii at Manoa has begun demolishing two buildings at its Hale Noelani student housing complex.

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Work started July 6 and includes the removal of Buildings C and D. It’s expected to wrap up before the start of the fall semester. The buildings have been vacant since 2017.

University officials said the demolition is part of a long-term plan to modernize campus housing and improve the student experience.

“It is a new era for student housing because we need to put our resources and all our efforts where our mouth is,” Chancellor Vassilis L. Syrmos said. “We need to come up and make student housing be one of the best run facilities here at UH Manoa.”

Hale Noelani, built in 1977, once housed about 530 students. The demolition permanently removes 174 beds, though the university noted recent public-private housing projects have increased on-campus capacity to more than 4,000 beds.

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University officials said they are still evaluating whether to renovate or demolish the remaining three Hale Noelani buildings as part of a broader student housing strategy.

“I’m just really excited to see things moving and am looking forward to the future where both our current students and the next generation of students will be able to thrive here at UH Manoa because of their housing experience,” said David Akana, interim director of Student Housing Services.

University officials said the plan aims to bring 95% of residence halls into fair or better condition by fiscal year 2028 and extend the useful life of existing housing facilities by an additional 20-30 years.

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