EAST LANSING — Michigan State University said Friday it will remove classrooms at Berkey Hall and the dining area at the Union where students were killed and wounded in the Feb. 13, 2023, mass shooting.
Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko and Senior Vice President of Student Life and Engagement Vennie Gore sent a Thursday email to the campus community announcing renovation plans.
Classrooms where the shooting happened at Berkey Hall will be transformed into an open area. The MSU Union’s former food court area will reopen in June but will not have dining options immediately available.
Mark Bullion, spokesperson for the university, said in a text to the State Journal that he wasn’t certain if or when dining would return to the Union. He did confirm renovations will take place in the former kitchen area later this year.
MSU officials said in their email families and individuals directly impacted by the shooting were allowed to review plans and provide feedback.
“We want to update you today on renovations beginning in the next two weeks at the MSU Union and Berkey Hall, the locations impacted by the events of Feb. 13, 2023,” MSU officials said in their email. “Design teams for each location worked closely with trauma-informed experts as part of the planning process.”
Bullion said in an email that MSU “worked with two different firms (a security and an architectural firm) with expertise in space planning and doing so in a trauma-informed manner.” He explained that this meant creating a space that “would be well received by individuals who have experienced trauma,” including “the layout, types of furniture, colors used, more open and accessible spaces, appropriate room decor and other items.”
MSU Union
Beginning Monday, construction will begin at the MSU Union in the former food court area.
The email said that current plans will “modernize” the area while “maintaining a space that allows individuals to gather, engage and socialize.” The email notes that “the area will remain walled off during construction; however, at times the demolition work could create unexpected noises that some may find disruptive.”
The renovation should be completed by June. There will be no dining options available when the seating area opens, as planning is still ongoing.
Berkey Hall
Renovation of the first floor of the north wing begins April 1. The email said that work “will take place outside of business hours to limit any disruption to those working and learning in the building this semester.” The building will be closed for classes in the summer while construction continues.
The email said that the classrooms impacted by the violence on campus will be transformed into an open space for individuals to gather and engage, and an addition of small-group meeting rooms, a reflection room, single-occupant accessible restrooms and a personal health room . Renovations are scheduled to be completed by fall 2024.
In December, students protested the reopening of Berkey Hall for the Spring 2024 semester, saying it was too soon, and too painful for classes to be held where students were killed. The university continued with their plans, and in January the building reopened for classes, but no classes were held in the two classrooms where the shooting occurred.
More information
More information about both renovation projects can be found at the Spartans Together website. The email said that community members seeking resources related to the violence of Feb. 13, 2023, to seek campus services, with more information available at the Office for Resource and Support Coordination’s website.
Contact Sarah Atwood at [email protected], or follow her on X @sarahmatwood.