U. confirms demolition plan for Brower Commons
The demolition of the now-defunct dining hall and historic protest site Brower Commons on the College Avenue campus is underway, a University spokesperson confirmed to The Daily Targum.
As students returned to campus for the Fall 2024 semester, what was once an open walking space on the steps of Brower Commons is now fenced off. Some wondered whether the fencing was an act to hinder student protests following the pro-Palestinian protest that took place there during the Spring 2024 semester.
Brower Commons has had a long history as a protest site. Past protests that have utilized the landmark include movements for LGBTQ+ rights and demonstrations against Columbus Day and fossil fuel use.
Bearing in mind the University's recent designation of free expression sites on campus, it has since assigned Records Field — the space behind Brower Commons, formerly home to Records Hall — as the College Avenue campus's permanent free expression space, the University spokesperson explained to the Targum.
The initial phase of the former dining hall's demolition is set to take between nine months and one year, with plans for a multi-purpose building to occupy the newly emptied space upon completion of the demolition and related procedures.
