DANBURY, Connecticut — Western Connecticut State University will unveil its new Berkshire Hall Student Center at a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in early November. The renovated-as-new facility on the Midtown campus, 181 White St., Danbury, features the best in collegiate dining halls, social spaces, and will eventually house a new cardio fitness center, basketball court, offices and more.
WCSU Interim President Dr. Manohar Singh will officially cut the ribbon at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, in a ceremony to be attended by students, faculty, staff, legislators and representatives from the design and construction team.
“The ribbon cutting at Berkshire Hall is a perfect example of Western’s commitment to build for the future,” Singh said. “This beautifully reimagined facility will enable our students to come together to bond, dine, study and exchange ideas in a space created expressly for their benefit. I could not be prouder to participate in the ceremony and welcome everyone inside.”
Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Chancellor Terrence Cheng concurred. “The Berkshire Hall Student Center is a testament to CSCU’s commitment to enhancing the student experience and fostering a thriving campus community where students can learn, socialize, and engage with one another. This renovated-as-new facility reflects our dedication in building a better future for our students by providing the best possible environment for personal and academic growth.”
The $20 million conversion within Berkshire Hall, a building that in the past housed mostly classrooms, an auditorium and a gymnasium, began in 2021. The project was designed and overseen by Tecton Architects, an architecture, interior design and master planning Hartford and Rhode Island-based firm with experience designing educational spaces for K-12 schools, colleges and universities, the United States Coast Guard and the U.S. Department of Labor. According to the firm, the building was converted to create flexible, adaptable spaces to support student dining, study and recreation needs, and the new dining hall replaces the one in the existing Student Center.
Berkshire Dining Hall is a vibrant dining facility and recreation center with an Urban Renewal styling. It features a two-story glass façade facing the Midtown campus quad, showcasing the front interior of the building’s main level, which houses a fireplace and coffee lounges, as well as the Student Lounge west lobby. Beyond the lounges and lobby is the primary on-campus dining facility which includes grab-and-go and late-night prepared food. The dining room seats over 300 people and provides a robust selection of meal options with separate prep stations including a brick pizza oven, grill, pasta bar, soup and salad bar, sandwich station and a variety of hot entrees as well as gluten free, vegetarian and vegan stations. A barista-styled coffee shop with paninis, smoothies and to-go eating options complements large casual seating and lounge areas. Students, faculty and staff have been enjoying the facility since September.
Berkshire Hall’s next phase of work will feature a renovated and expanded recreation center. The multi-purpose gymnasium currently located there will remain in the same location, with some minor renovations and alterations that will include a full-sized indoor basketball and volleyball court and Recreation Department offices. Construction of these two areas should begin in the near future. A new athletic training facility also will be created for athletic trainers to help student athletes with injuries and recreation. The facility will allow the Department of Health Promotion and Exercise Sciences (HPX) to offer student internship opportunities. The renovated building will also feature two areas for HPX classes and practice spaces for cheerleading, dance and other recreational purposes. Locker rooms and showers, and a new cardio fitness center, will also be available for student, faculty and staff use.
For more information, contact WCSU Communications and Marketing at pr@wcsu.edu.
Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.