Features

The University Students Cooperative Association board voted last week to shut down Berkeley’s most infamous student co-op, Le Chateau, this summer and eventually transform it into a “graduate-themed” co-op. 

The move comes less than two months after a small claims court judge declared the housing complex a nuisance and awarded neighbors of the housing complex $63,500 in damages. The USCA has appealed the ruling. 

USCA Community Relations and Development Director Kathryn McCarthy said the board hoped that a newly-themed Chateau would improve relations with neighbors and reduce vacancies in the three building complex at Hillegas and Parker. 

“We are pleased with this,” said George Lewinsky, the lead plaintiff of the nuisance suit brought against the Chateau by 22 neighbors. “Reforming the culture of Le Chateau has always been a neighborhood objective and this has the potential towards doing that.” 

Le Chateau Manager Ian Latta called the board’s decision “shameful.”  

“It ignores all our efforts to improve the situation,” he said. Latta added that residents, sensing the board was not satisfied with the current state of affairs at Le Chateau, had offered to remake the co-op with a focus towards community service. 

The USCA board is scheduled to meet again this Thursday to iron out details for the remaking of Le Chateau, McCarthy said. She predicted that the UCSA board would keep the complex closed at least until spring semester while renovations are completed. McCarthy estimated that renovation work to make Le Chateau attractive to graduate students could cost as much as $600,000. 

She added the board would consider converting all of the bedrooms to singles, which the UCSA hoped would reduce vacancies and lower capacity. 

This year, according to Latta, about one-third of the Le Chateau’s 75 beds have been empty. Had the co-op remained open for current residents this fall, McCarthy said only 14 residents had planned to return and another 14 incoming students had expressed interest in moving in. 

Latta said student co-ops have experienced higher vacancies recently because of new dormitories and declining rents for private housing. 

“The UCSA isn’t the cheapest option for students anymore,” Latta said. 

Co-op residents pay $730 for room and board, although McCarthy said that the UCSA would likely institute a different fee structure for Le Chateau once it becomes available to graduate students.  

Current Chateau residents will be relocated to other houses in the student co-op system, McCarthy said.ª