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The Gilbert Complex, a university residence hall for 44 years, will be torn down this summer in order to make room for more modern dorms, the university's Board of Trustees annunced Tuesday. Harrington complex will eventually be replaced as well, according to university spokesman John Brennan.
More beds will be added to Independence Hall or Laird Campus to give the university sufficient space to house students while East Campus is being renovated.
Tearing down the Gilbert complex is just one of the many renovations the university is hoping to accomplish, along with renovations of the Russell complex that were done during the 2008-2009 school year.
Sophomore Kayla Gaines, who lives in Gilbert this semester, said the dorms need to be changed.
"I think its just the condition isn't worth investing to fix," Gaines said. "It's gross here and it's falling apart and not worth fixing."
Junior Nick Hoyt agreed Gilbert can be difficult to live in, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.
"The dorms were also always uncomfortably hot," Hoyt said. "The heat would stay on even during warm weather and with no air conditioning the summer months were too warm in the complex."
Lauren Hornyak, a 2006 graduate, agreed that the dorms could use an update but was sad to see them go. Hornyak was an resident assistant in Gilbert F her senior year and said on her move in day it was 105 degrees in her room because there is no circulation in the building's courtyard.
Despite these flaws, she said she would miss the building and was hoping to visit it at the Forum and Reunion weekend this summer.
"I'm sad because I'm sentimental for all of the memories and good times living here but, I think it's amazing what Delaware is doing to grow and attract better and brighter students and I think Gilbert was outdated," Hornyak said.
Linda Carey, director of housing assignment services, stated in an e-mail message that the Gilbert complex typically held 652 students, but since only three of the buildings were open this past semester there were only 324 spaces available.
This year three of the buildings in Russell complex were closed for renovation and next year Russell C, D and E will open, keeping the amount of spaces approximately the same, Carey said.
Next year there will also be changes in the placement and housing of students of different ages and interests.
Carey said for next year, East and West Campuses and George Reed North and South on Laird Campus will all house freshmen. Central complex, Independence Hall East and West, Thomas McKean, James Smith and the Christiana Towers will house upperclassmen.
Sophomore Lauren Lobo heard about the plan to make East Campus buildings completely freshmen housing and disagreed with the idea.
"I love living here, I'm an engineer so I love the location because it is close to all of my classes," she said.
She said both her and the members of her close-knit floor weren't thrilled about leaving this side of campus. She said although the heat and water temperatures in the dorm weren't reliable, she thought it was a decent place to live.
"I'm going to miss it because it is the only building I've ever lived in and I love this side of campus," she said. "They need some things done but I'm not a huge fan of tearing them down."
Hornyack echoed these feelings toward her senior year dorm.
"When I look back and think about my time at Delaware, the year I spent on the beach always seems the absolute best," she said.
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