Berry Hall set to reopen Fall 2010

Berry Hall will re-open fall 2010 at Texas A&M University-Commerce to accommodate students living in the five West Hall buildings that will be demolished in May 2010.
 

Re-opening Berry will give students who currently live in Lutz, McGuill, Petty, Hart and Stone Halls another option for on-campus housing. Students can move where they want according to the regulations of the housing department.
 

"Because we are demolishing five buildings in the West Hall area, we feel we will need Berry to accommodate the 120 beds that will be lost when those halls are gone," Interim Director of Residential Living and Learning Dennis Koch said. "This does not mean those people in West will be moving to Berry."
 

Berry Hall has a history of closing and re-opening. It opened in 1964 and was named after R.H. "Bob" Berry football coach, 1935-1941 and 1946-1950, who won three Lone Star Conference Championships.

After opening in 1964, Berry was renovated in 1976 and then closed in 1980. It re-opened in 1999, while Whitley was being renovated, and then closed in 2000. In 2001 it was renovated for Mayo College and re-opened for Mayo College students in 2002. According to Koch, Berry closed in 2009 due to lack of students living in the residence halls.

Some students in West Halls see Berry Hall as a positive option for West Hall residents.

"I don't think Berry Hall is a terrible alternative to on-campus housing at all," junior photography major Ferne Carr said. "When I lived in Berry I was fortunate enough to share the section with only three people. The kitchen was bad because no one really kept it up but other than that it was fine. There are worse places to live on campus."

Some West Hall residents are unhappy about the residents of Lutz, McGuill, Petty, Hart and Stone Halls being "forced" to move out of their residencies but see the positive side of those students' misfortune.

"I don't like the fact that the residents of the five West Hall buildings being demolished don't have a choice to move out but I think it's nice they are improving the appearance of the university. I live in Fling Hall and the building next to me, Petty Hall, is one of the older buildings and is in need of renovation or demolition," Carr said.

Berry Hall will be open to all classifications of students. Students who would like to live in Berry can sign up for the hall when they re-apply for housing at the end of the spring semester.
 

"I do think it's great they are re-opening Berry and giving, not only West Hall residents another choice for on-campus housing, but all A&M-Commerce students who live on campus," senior environmental science major Grace Lawson said.

According to Koch, there are no plans to demolish Berry after the new residence hall is built but there are hopes to have enough funds to renovate the building.

For more information on campus housing, contact Interim Director of Residential Living and Learning Dennis Koch at Dennis_Koch@tamu-commerce.edu.