A decision at Virginia Tech to move the urns with the ashes of up to 61 Hokies is raising some eyebrows as more details on a new location will be discussed this week by Board of Visitors.
The current location of the memorial has been identified as the future location for 3-4 new dormitories, creating up to 1,200 beds.
The move has drawn some pushback and dismay from some affected families. Last year, families were contacted about a possible move with several choices. Those included moving their loved ones to the new site, retrieving their remains or requesting a refund.
The Virginia Tech Columbarium, established in 2011, is a final resting place for alumni, staff, students and friends to have their cremated remains interred on campus. Originally located beside the Holtzman Alumni Center, the university is relocating the remains to accommodate new dormitory construction.
The original site features a structure near the Tech Duck Pond, which includes maroon granite niche covers. The cost for the final resting spot was $5,000 with engraving of names, birth years and death years styled in gold lettering.
The new location is on Dairy Drive, overlooking the Tech baseball field at the intersection of Duck Pond Drive and Southgate Drive.
According to presentation docs from the university, the university’s 2018 Campus Master Plan and the Beyond Boundaries 2047 vision supports continued growth in this district, including the recently approved New Residence Halls capital project, which will deliver approximately 1,200 additional undergraduate beds and enhance the residential experience on campus immediately adjacent to the current columbarium site.
The memorial was built with both individual and companion niches designed to house up to two urns each. The move has been in the works for several years.
The university says the proposed location is situated on a scenic hilltop, surrounded by mature trees, and provides expansive views and a sense of reflection consistent with the originally envisioned purpose of the columbarium.
About 90 percent of families have agreed to move loved ones to the new site.
The university is engaging licensed funeral service professionals and will adhere to all applicable legal, ethical, and industry standards throughout the relocation process.
Site work on the future project is set to begin next week. Families have been told to pick up remains by June 4.