It looks like it’s curtains for this historic Fort Worth movie theater
The Berry Theater, built in 1940 near the intersection of Hemphill and West Berry Streets, could be coming down.
It’s owner, the nonprofit health care provider Mercy Clinic of Fort Worth, has filed for a demolition permit, according to the city of Fort Worth’s permitting system.
The group has been providing free medical care in the 76110 ZIP code since 2011. It expanded to serve residents of the 76104 ZIP code after research from UT-Southwestern and an investigation from the Star-Telegram revealed residents living in that area had the lowest life expectancy in the state.
Mercy Clinic has had plans to build a clinic on the lot just north of the building since 2018. The expansion will giving the clinic 15,000 square feet to provide free medical and dental care, compared to the 1,200 square feet it’s using currently, said executive director Aly Layman.
The theater was gifted to the clinic in around 2021, and while the nonprofit looked at ways to save the building, in the end it wasn’t economically feasible, Laymen said.
“I know it’s not what everyone wants to hear,” she said, while acknowledging the beauty of the building’s historic architecture.
However, the inside of the building has been inhabited by people experiencing homelessness and hasn’t had working utilities for decades, Layman said.
“It safest for the health of the community and for the healthcare we want to provide for us to look into demolishing it,” she said.
Layman plans to host a community meeting about the theater’s future on at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the clinic’s headquarters at 775 W Bowie St.
The Berry Theater has been listed five times as one of Fort Worth’s most endangered places, according to the historic preservation nonprofit Historic Fort Worth. The abandoned building has been closed for more than 35 years, according to Star-Telegram archives.
It’s not designated as a historic building, but if it were, its owners could get a 25% rebate on any redevelopment costs through state tax credits.
“Without landmark protection, great buildings like this are vulnerable,” said Jerre Tracy, executive director of Historic Fort Worth.
Losing the theater is a loss of cultural history, Tracy said. Single screen theaters like the Berry were places where parents could drop off their kids to watch cartoons, and have always been tied into their communities.
The theater was one of the only the places in Fort Worth where the Hispanic community could go see movies that reflected their culture, said Elva Camacho, who grew up in the area.
Camacho recalled going to the theater to see movies with her father and running into other family members or friends from the neighborhood.
She said it was an important place for the neighborhood to hang out.
Cristina Plascencia Snoke, a neighborhood activist and resident of the Rosemont neighborhood just south of the theater, said the area needs a cultural hub to foster its creative community.
She also noted the history of the building as a gathering place saying it needs to be preserved for younger generations.
The building has become a liability for Mercy Clinic, said Fort Worth city council member Jeanette Martinez, whose district includes the Berry Theater.
She noted Mercy Clinic is renting its current space, and has been looking to expand its operations.
“I’m an arts lover, and definitely do thing we need a place in the south side like they have in the north side,” Martinez said.
However, she wasn’t sure the building had the same historical significance as some of the north side land marks like the Rose Marine Theater, where prominent Mexican movie stars visited to promote their films.
If the building qualified for historic status, Martinez said she would fight to make sure it’s preserved.
This story was originally published June 26, 2023 at 4:08 PM.
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