Thomas Nelson Community College’s auditorium roof collapses
The roof of the building that houses Thomas Nelson Community College auditorium collapsed Monday evening, and the building is closed indefinitely.
No injuries were reported — Templin Hall has been closed to the public since last March due to the pandemic. Although there are some some limited activities on campus, most classes are online this semester.
“We are extremely fortunate no one was in the building at the time of the collapse,” said President Towuanna Porter Brannon in a news release.
Campus police, plant services and college officials arrived shortly after 6 p.m. on Monday. The college sent out an alert saying no one was injured around 8:30 p.m.
Most of the damage was to the building’s 470-set auditorium, named in honor of Hampton educator and delegate Mary T. Christian. Templin Hall is a 49,000-square-foot academic and performing arts building built in 2002.
The college said that a team from the Virginia Community College System office in Richmond was investigating. The building was cordoned off with yellow tape.
Templin Hall shares a wall with the Hampton campus’s library in Wythe Hall. Both Templin Hall and the library are closed until further notice. The college said no other campus buildings appear to be impacted.
Matt Jones, 757-247-4729, mjones@dailypress.com
