News

Ask Matt ... what happened to community room with a view

By Matt Matteson, Published: April 3, 2023

Q. What happened to the community room in the Patton Building at Blue Ridge Community College?

Gone! The former room known as Patton 150 was totally reconstructed during the recent $23 million campus renovation that also called for the removal of two aging buildings and sadly, a few trees. Patton 150 was built 50 years ago as a community room and every year since it has been enjoyed by thousands. It had a movable room divider, a carpeted floor, and an awesome view of the College’s lake. The room was used day and night for meetings, clinics, public hearings, college night events, art shows, and more. Many local nonprofits had their roots there. It was the quintessential multi-purpose room but now that meeting space is just another classroom.
One of the regular users of Patton 150 is the Blue Ridge Center for Lifelong Learning. “It was an accessible, high-functioning classroom with a huge monitor, sound, whiteboards, IT support, cushy chairs and tables,” said BRCLL President Mary Johnston, who misses the old room by the lake. Lifelong Learning classes were moved to a smaller classroom in the Sink Building during the two-year long renovation. The 40 chairs that were purchased by BRCLL did however make the move over to Sink.
The college has a multitude of meeting spaces for community use but nothing that quite matches the former Patton 150. There is the new 105-seat Wyatt Auditorium available in Patton. The theater-style room has a stage and each seat has a flip-up writing pad. The auditorium was designed with an audio-visual room, something that the old Patton Auditorium lacked. Perhaps the best thing about the new auditorium is the ground level entrance — no more climbing “Heartbreak Hill.”
Still no multi-purpose room? Not so fast — the college has plans to re-fit another room across campus in the three-story Technology Education and Development Center (TEDC). This ground floor room, TEDC 102, has a flat floor and two large glass walls. The plans are to add 50 to 60 seats with movable desks plus a small hospitality area. “We think this room is going to be a great asset,” said Jenni Tweed, BRCC’s event coordinator. “Just before Covid, Patton 150 was used to the max,” she said. “We were resetting for events sometimes twice a day.” The college’s plans are to open TEDC 102 by mid-summer. Maybe by then they’ll give it a cool and “easy to say” name.
Anyone needing meeting space at BRCC need only search online for “event-and-meeting-facilities.” The 850-seat multi-purpose Conference Hall and the break-out rooms are popular and Thomas Auditorium with its 430 seats is a super venue. Rates, fees and photos are online. “We love partnering with the community,” said Tweed, “It’s in our name.”

* * * * *

Send questions to askmattm@gmail.com.