Posted at 11:03 AM ET, 09/15/2010

U-Va. will renovate iconic rotunda

By Washington Post editors

The University of Virginia plans to renovate its iconic rotunda, including replacing the building's roof and restoring portions of its columns.

The Board of Visitors on Tuesday approved the first phase of the project, which is estimated to cost about $22.9 million. U-Va. is seeking almost $13 million from the state, and expects the rest to be matched by private funds and donations. University officials said in a release that the work could start as early as next summer.

University founder Thomas Jefferson designed the rotunda, modeling it after Rome's Pantheon and making it the school's architectural and academic focal point. Construction was completed in 1826 for nearly $60,000.