Temple’s Peabody Hall to Close in Upcoming School Year

BY: CAITLIN CHECKETT

Temple University’s oldest residence hall is scheduled to be closed for the upcoming 2017-18 school year.

Opened in 1956, Peabody Hall is a freshman dormitory building located on the corner of North Broad and Norris streets. It’s one of the smaller residence halls on campus, standing 4 stories tall and housing approximately 290 bed spaces.

The only official statement released by the university is that Peabody Hall will not be available for student housing in the upcoming fall, although there have been several rumors flying around campus pertaining to Peabody’s future. Many students and teachers have heard that the building will be reconstructed to hold classrooms, while others are saying the building is going to be torn down completely to allow for more grass on Temple’s campus.

Students currently living in Peabody Hall for the 2016-17 school year will not be affected by this upcoming change.

As the last Community Council President of Peabody, freshman Gavin Rodgers is hopeful for Temple’s future plans with the space.

“I think at some point, every building sees its time,” Rodgers said. “Temple is becoming more of a modern campus, so it does make sense to put a more developed building in Peabody’s place, but I’ll be sad to see it go.”

Additional housing may open up in The Edge at Avenue North, a student housing apartment complex which is located one block off of main campus on 15th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue.

Temple currently has a property agreement with The Edge that houses about 375 on-campus students on 3 floors. The university is negotiating for more floors to be available for Temple students in order to accommodate for the lost residencies in Peabody.

Peabody currently houses the Tyler School of Art Living Learning Community on its 2nd floor. Those students have the basement dedicated to an art studio as well. This LLC will be transferred to a floor in the 1940 residence hall starting next year.

With Peabody’s imminent extinguished residence life, Johnson and Hardwick will become the last of the traditional-style dorm buildings offered on campus.

Feature Image Courtesy: Temple Housing