Future of Berry Hall uncertain
November 27, 2018
By John Parsons | Staff Reporter
Berry Hall, located west of campus, had 200 beds, became uninhabitable due to the lack of air conditioning, has an uncertain future. The buildings and parking lot are being used as storage facilities.
The air conditioning was donated to the university’s Children’s Learning Center.
The residence hall has been opened and closed multiple times, according to Julia Rose, Residential Living and Learning assistant director.
It was built in 1964 and was last closed in 2017, after Phase III residence hall opened.
Berry Hall was frequently used as summer housing for students and summer camp attendees and has been provided as no-charge spring break housing for residents of traditional halls.
“Did not enjoy it,” is how one former resident described the hall on social media.
Berry Hall is composed of six two-story buildings made of double occupancy rooms, community bathrooms, a kitchen in the main lobby, laundry facilities, and television lounge plus an administration building. The community bathrooms are located at a central location on each section and include up to three toilets, three sinks, and three showers.
While it was open, each bedroom included two beds, two desks, a closet with drawers and shelves, and a smoke detector. Each room had extended cable service.
“It will require a study to decide to keep the building or not,” Rose said. “The department’s mission is to support education and that governs how RLL spends money.”
The hall is named for R.H. “Bob” Berry, former football coach.
The decision on Berry Hall will be “in the best interests of the university,” Dr. Thomas Newsom, associate vice president and dean of students, said, noting “a decision is not critical” at this time.
Berry Hall remains within Residential Living and Learning. Its 200 beds are still included in the 2,800 bed count provided by Michael Stark, director.
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The university should sell the land where Berry Hall and the Children’s Museum are located for commercial business development due to the major highway separating them from the main campus. They should also plan to eventually sell the land where Smith Hall is located for commercial business development for the same reason when it becomes outdated as a residence hall. With the money from the sale(s), they should continue buying homes between W. Neal Street and Monroe Street all the way down to Culver and use those blocks to build new housing and parking garages to serve students and commuters. Of course, they need to keep enrollment on the Commerce campus up and growing so that there will be a demand for the prime property they would offer on the west side of the highway.
I was an RA at Whitley Hall during and after the Whitley Hall fire of 1999. Housing renovated Berry Hall to alleviate the missing number of beds while Whitley Hall was under repair and renovation. Upon first glance we weren’t too fond of the move but once in Berry Hall and the school year got going it became a leader in community building. The setup forced residents to interact whether good or bad and the friendships made at that hall and the memories made at that hall are still in play due to the lobby and the massive inner courtyard. As a Hall Director of Berry hall with my term ending in 2004 the community building continued. Sure every building has its issues, its temperament, and obstacles but the community building based by the design of the building is something that Berry had for the longest time. I was a resident in numerous halls, an RA in numerous halls, and a Hall Director. Saw the good, bad, and the ugly but Berry, despite its age, was what you put into it. The residents during that time being Mayo College students and regular students chose to contribute positive energy into it to get something out of it. This hall will be missed by the residents that made it what it was during the 1999 to 2004 time frame.