AU will convert Roper Hall, the current home of the College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Economics, into student housing for the start of the 2010-2011 academic year.
Prior to the conversion, the economics department will move to the Kreeger Building, which has remained vacant since the arts and performing arts departments moved to the Katzen Arts Center in 2005. Kreeger is located on the south side of campus, near the Watkins and Hamilton buildings and Jacobs Field.
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The four buildings are located adjacent to Letts Hall, Bender Library and the McKinley Building.
Roper is slated to house 50-57 students in double-occupancy rooms, according to Housing and Dining Programs Executive Director Chris Moody.
"It's looking like very traditional student housing," he said.
Nebraska Hall-style suites are out of the question for Roper, Gager said.
"The proportions of the building don't allow for suites," he said.
Since Roper was originally a residence hall, its conversation back to residential space will be cost-efficient, Gager said. No cost estimate was available as of press time Wednesday.
When the economics department moves to Kreeger, they will have the same type of facilities they currently have in Roper, he said. This will include conference rooms, laboratory spaces and faculty offices.
Robert Blecker, chair of the economics department, said he is looking forward to more space for graduate students and faculty in his growing department.
"We're excited about the process," he said. "Kreeger is a little out of the way though. The location might not have been our first choice."
Kreeger's renovation, which will gut the building, will begin in July and end sometime between December and February 2010, Gager said. Asbestos abatement has occurred in Kreeger since it was vacated. The building, built in 1965, has never undergone a major renovation.
Blecker said his department is scheduled to move into Kreeger in March 2010.
At that time, the renovations to Roper will start, and will be complete by that August, Gager said.
Similar conversions are likely in the future, Gager said.
Clark Hall, which currently houses School of International Service faculty, will also be converted to housing once those occupants move to the new SIS building.
The third phase would be to move the occupants of Gray Hall - the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and the School of Education, Teaching and Health - to the current School of International Service building.
Currently, there are no plans to renovate McCabe Hall, which houses SIS and School of Communication offices, as well as the Student Health Center and the Wellness Center, Gager said.
Roper Hall originally housed Washington Semester students and opened for the spring 1955 semester, The Eagle reported in its Jan. 18, 1955 edition.
A fire, ruled to be arson, destroyed the building's first floor during the early hours of Feb. 28, 1999, but caused little structural damage, The Eagle previously reported. Various CAS departments - including economics - occupied the building at the time. There were no injuries as a result of the fire.
Evan Wieczorek, a freshman in SIS, said he did not really like the plans but was happy AU will create more housing.
"I used to live on Tenley [Campus] because of the overflow," he said.
Samantha Saleh, a freshman in SIS, said she felt Roper was too small.
"I can't imagine anyone wanting to live in a small dorm," she said. "It's not that nice of a building, but at least it's on campus."
Pat Gillespie, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, said he would enjoy living in a smaller building.
"It would be different, but I tend to interact with my floor anyway," he said. "You get the same environment [on your floor]."
You can reach this staff writer at eklapper@theeagleonline.com.
