Demolition on DU’s John Greene Hall began in the snow on Monday, April 14, and is expected to be completed in early May.

The $90,000 demolition process will pave the way for a new building to be built over John Greene, with the groundbreaking ceremony taking place on May 6, according to Linda Lautenbach, construction project manager of DU Facilities and Management.

“The Daniel F. Ritchie School of Engineering and Knoebel Center for the Study of Aging building will be built on the site of the former John Greene Hall,” said Lautenbach. “The general contractor for the new building will start construction in mid-summer, sometime near July 1.”

John Greene Hall originally opened in 1958 when Chester Alter served as chancellor of DU. With its existence coming to an end, Undergraduate Student Government’s (USG) Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science (RSECS) Senator Alicia Everett said the new building will be of great benefit to future DU students.

“I think it’s symbolic of the growth and new life that the science, specifically engineering, is receiving from the school, and from the really generous donation of Daniel Ritchie,” said Everett. “It’s an incredible opportunity for the department. Growth in the department is needed. It’s a high demand career once we get out of college. Having better facilities, better funding and better resources will lead to better learning for future students.”