A vision to expand free access to health care in two Fort Worth zip codes is one step closer this weekend after the demolition of a more than 80-year-old theater on Hemphill Street.
Crews from a demolition company started tearing down Berry Theater early Saturday morning to a scattering of onlookers snapping photos in the 3000 block of Hemphill at the intersection with West Berry Street.
The move comes after some in the neighborhood had asked members of the non-profit Mercy Health to perhaps delay demolition to see if another buyer could be located.
The city of Fort Worth issued a demolition permit in June.
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According to Historic Fort Worth, the building at 3033 Hemphill had no historic designation, meaning it could be torn down at the discretion of the property owner.
John Roberts, a former chairman and current board member with Historic Fort Worth, watched Saturday as pieces of the theater were knocked down and pushed into the former center of the building in a carefully executed demolition.
“It was a surprise,” Roberts said. “We didn’t think it was coming down that fast.”
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The theater opened in 1940 when neighborhood theaters boomed in North Texas. It became one of the first to show Spanish language films beginning in the early 1960s. But as movie-going habits shifted to multiplex screens, the theater struggled to remain relevant and closed decades ago.
Marcos Perez grew up nearby and came out to watch the demolition, still wondering about a building he had seen his entire life but had little direct experience with.
“Curiosity gets you when you’re a little kid and just trying to imagine what it was like being in there because it was a one-screen theater,” Perez said.
The next chapter for the property should be known soon.
The non-profit Mercy Clinic plans to expand free access to health care in the 76110 and 76104 zip codes. The theater site is in the 76110 zip code.
Aly Leyman, the executive director of Mercy Clinic, told NBC 5 the non-profit gained the building through a donation from a volunteer in 2021.
“We have a plan to go from a 3-room clinic to a 10-room clinic, Leyman said.
Even as he watched the demolition, Perez reflected on what might be next for the growing community and how the space will help address needs that exist today.
“Affordable health care, especially for this community, that’s always a good thing," Perez said.
