On April 29, 2012, Co-opers and friends warmly celebrated the start of the Sherman Hall Seismic Retrofit. This is the ninth house the Berkeley Student Cooperative is retrofitting and the first using only member savings (50%) and alumni donations (50%). We are very grateful for the generous support of Li Chu (Sherman, 1960s), Renee Schneider Judd (1940s), Helen Black (the first House Manager), and Sara Ishikawa (1950s). By not incurring further debt, the BSC keeps co-op housing affordable for future generations of students.

Berkeley City Councilmember Laurie Capitelli, himself a Sherman alum (a boarder in the 1960s) presented a City of Berkeley Proclamation congratulating our achievement. California Assembly member Nancy Skinner was represented by her District Office Manager Mark Chekal-Bain.

During the summer of 2012, construction crews worked on strengthening and insulating the first floor walls and excavating under the building in preparation for foundation work. Work finished in August.

Although the City of Berkeley does not yet require retrofitting of most older buildings, as a progressive landlord the BSC plans to retrofit at least one building every summer to improve member safety and limit potential damage in upcoming earthquakes.