Longtime University of Nebraska-Lincoln residence hall to close in May

Love Memorial Hall, a cooperative housing residence on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's East Campus, is set to permanently close in May.

Built in 1940 and funded by Don L. Love — a former mayor of Lincoln — Love Memorial Hall has been a residence hall for UNL for more than 80 years.

"The decision to close Love Memorial didn't come easy," said Lucas Novotny, executive director of housing and dining services at UNL.

Love Memorial Hall is an all-female cooperative. It can house up to 44 people, but only 18 women live there currently, Novotny said.

As a cooperative, the residents of Love Memorial Hall are not provided the same amenities as other residence halls on campus. There are no cleaning or cooking services provided to them.

The excitement of living at the residence hall loses its luster as the school year progresses and residents start to need more amenities, said Novotny.

Matt Nelson, director of residence life at UNL, hosted a focus group made up of alumni, current residents of Love Memorial Hall and East Campus students to discuss the challenges of living there.

Ultimately, after a long decision-making process, they decided to permanently close the residence hall at the end of this school year, said Novotny.

The future use of the building is still unknown, he said.

"When we no longer occupy residence halls for occupancy, we turn them back over to the university's operations group," Novotny said. "And they, from a campus master planning perspective, would make determinations of the future of that building."

Current residents of Love Memorial Hall will go through the same residence application process as other returning students for the 2025-26 school year, said Novotny.

Because Love Memorial Hall was a cooperative, it was less expensive to live in compared to other residence halls on campus. If current Love Memorial Hall residents want to continue living on campus, the housing office is offering discounted accommodations at other buildings, Novotny said.

Love Memorial Hall will shut down after current residents move out in May, Novotny said.

"We're going to try to be as least disruptive to students as possible," he said.

To commemorate the history of Love Memorial Hall, UNL is hosting an ongoing "Love for Love" campaign where current residents and alumnae can submit pictures and memories to be shared on social media.

UNL plans to host a final celebration of Love Memorial Hall in the spring.

People can share memories of their time at Love Memorial Hall online .

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or .