Berkeley Center renewal progress is underway. If you were to drive down St. Ronan Street today, you would see a construction zone in the place of the Berkeley Center, and you would feel the sense of progress in the air.

The renewed Berkeley Center will be available to all Berkeley students on a daily basis, and not just for prayer. The house will be a place for students to relax, pray, meet, and study throughout the day. It will host programming for Annand and Transforming Leaders, two flourishing Berkeley programs.

The most notable piece of news from the construction front is that while gutting the basement, builders discovered a red, granite foundation wall. The granite is a reddish hue that reminds one of nearby East Rock. The architect is eager to make use of this discovery in what is to become a student lounge. The wall brings a certain warmth to the space and connects the house to its natural and cultural surroundings. The renewed basement will also feature a new contemplative prayer chapel and office space.

Up on the third floor, student apartments have been gutted, and three bedsit rooms with kitchenettes are rising from the ashes. These rooms will greatly improve Berkeley’s ability to provide hospitality to out of town guests, including visiting bishops and other luminaries.

The Berkeley Center’s new roof is complete. An accessible walkway and a terrace are being built in the back of the house. The target date for completion of the project is August 2024, and those who attend Convocation in October 2024 will get the chance to tour the renovated Berkeley Center.

This building project is symbolic for Berkeley. It is an investment in the future of theogical education, and it is a sign of Berkeley’s determination to meet the needs of the present and future church.

If you haven’t already, you can download a Berkeley Center paper model pattern and help us celebrate by building your very own Berkeley Center at home.