Gartley Hall on the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa campus is being closed after recent structural survey work found the 88-year-old building had major structural damage, which raised significant questions about the safety of the building. The building is being cleared and closed until further investigation and tests can be performed over the next two weeks.

During recent preliminary structural survey work for the renovation of Gartley, inspectors discovered that one or more of the building columns on the edifice’s west side had failed because of the deterioration of column reinforcing steel bars (rebar), and that others may be compromised.

“Repairs and maintenance has continued as a high priority for the UH-Manoa campus, and the situation with Gartley Hall is an unfortunate reminder how critical funding is needed to maintain our buildings for the safety of our staff and students,” said Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw. 
Efforts were under way to prepare for the renovation of Gartley Hall. However, the project will have to be evaluated as to whether renovation can solve the current problems.
Gartley Hall is on the mauka end of the campus near University Avenue, across from Sinclair Library. It is home to the Department of Psychology, which has the largest number of majors at UH-Manoa. About a dozen classes, attended by approximately 70-100 students in each class, have been moved out of the building and 135 personnel within Gartley are being relocated.