$16 million renovation of Sherley Hall to make room for male residents

Fort Worth, TX

11/11/2008

by Chelsie French, courtesy of the TCU Daily Skiff

After 50 years on campus, Sherley Hall is undergoing a $16 million renovation project and will reopen as a coed dorm in fall 2009 to allow more room for incoming male students, a Residential Services official said.

Craig Allen, director of Residential Services, said Sherley will be converted into a coed dorm because Milton Daniel Hall will be closed for renovation, and the university needs living space for incoming male students. After renovations of Milton Daniel are complete, the university will make a decision on whether Sherley will remain a coed dorm, Allen said.

The original Sherley was built in 1958 and housed 350 residents. The planning for the new building began in December 2007, and construction began promptly after students moved out in May.

Bob Proske, senior project manager, said there are currently 70 to 80 people working to renovate Sherley.

"The only thing that was left of the original building was the roof, floor and outside walls," Proske said.

Once Sherley is complete, it will have a movie theater, a countertop area and a baking oven without a stove top, in order to follow safety codes. The basement will also include gaming stations, a flat screen TV and a Nintendo Wii for students to use along with free washers and dryers, Allen said.

"The basement is more of space to hang out in," Allen said. "With a movie theater that seats at least 25 people and multiple gaming centers, we hope to draw students to gather in this common area."

The dorm was ready for a renovation after 50 years, Allen said.

The new Sherley will have 316 beds and community bathrooms, Allen said. There will be six "super suites" that will house nine students each. Allen said these suites will have three bedrooms and their own private common area with couches and oversized chairs. The "super suites" will be filled by enrollment priority, Allen said.

The price estimate for the "super suite" is $3,200 per semester and $3,090 per semester for a double room, Allen said.

"The goal of Sherley is to have a fresh living space," Allen said. "With each new building we are constantly raising the bar."

The rooms are about the same size as before, 12 feet by 18 feet, and furniture will no longer be built into the new rooms, Allen said. The front entrance will have a number of patios, benches and grills, he said.

For more information about new facilities on campus, visit www.newsevents.tcu.edu/newfacilities.asp.