Show's Over: Owners of Fort Worth's historic Berry Theater apply for demolition permit
FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTexas.com) - The owners of a 90-year-old theater in Fort Worth have applied for a demolition permit for the building after determining it's too expensive to refurbish.
The Berry Theater was the focus of restoration efforts in the past, including a $1.8 million plan in 2019 the city council backed with a tax abatement agreement.
The restoration never happened though, and the property was donated to the Mercy Clinic in 2021. The clinic, which provides free medical and dental care to people in the neighborhood, is planning a new building on the vacant lots next to the theater.
Clinic executive director Aly Layman said she envisioned using the theater to expand programming, or an education space, but years of neglect made the idea too cost prohibitive.
Looking inside the building Monday, it was filled with trash from people breaking in and living inside. The walls are stripped down to the wood frame behind the brick. Much of the ceiling is missing, with the rafters visible.
"I remember Berry Theater," said the Mercy Clinic's founder, Rebekah Naylor, who said her father used to be the pastor at the Travis Avenue Baptist Church across the street. "I mean, I went there. So I very well knew the history and its role in this neighborhood and all of that. And so I understand the feelings, and yet we're in a different time and unfortunately in these decades, the building was not maintained."
The cost of repairs would have nearly equaled the cost for the new expanded space the clinic is building brand new Naylor said. It wasn't feasible for the small clinic, which assists uninsured adults in the 76110 and 76104 zip codes.
People commenting on social media (where the word spread over the weekend) expressed frustration about the plans.
Layman said she wants the support of the neighborhood and the people it serves. She invited residents and neighborhood associations to visit Tuesday evening, to hear about the clinic's plans and ask questions about the project.
