news
Corby Hall to be demolished in June, rebuilt
Observer Staff Report | Thursday, May 17, 2018
Corby Hall, a priest’s residence hall and one of the oldest buildings on campus, will be demolished this summer and rebuilt, The South Bend Tribune reported Wednesday.
Built in the late 19th century, Corby Hall is property of the Congregation of the Holy Cross and does not belong to Notre Dame. However, the University and the religious order decided together to replace the building, the report said.
“We originally planned to renovate the old building and put an addition on,” Rev. Austin Collins, the religious superior of the Corby Hall community, said to The South Bend Tribune. “It just was not feasible.”
University spokesman Dennis Brown said the structure of the building made renovation not possible.
“The load-bearing walls in the current structure were such that we couldn’t effectively renovate the building,” he said to The South Bend Tribune.
The report said, the building has been home to several “famous residents,” including University President Emeritus Fr. Theodore Hesburgh and former football coach Knute Rockne.
The new Corby Hall will feature a “similar design” to the old building and is expected to be completed in spring of 2020. Until the hall is completed, the 28 current residents will live elsewhere on campus.
The new building will be constructed with $20 million from Mary and Jay Flaherty’s gift to the University and Congregation of the Holy Cross last year as well as $10 million from Notre Dame, the report said.
