Current Barton Hall residents may move to Freeman Hall next year after Barton, Lyon and Freeman Hall residents reached a consensus last week.

Randy Alexander, director of the Department of Residence, said several options were discussed at a meeting Wednesday night before a decision was reached, after more than an hour of debate

Chris Hansen, senior in materials engineering and president of Anders House in Barton Hall, said Anders House residents took a survey to determine how many students would be returning and where they would be interested in moving if they wanted to stay with Anders House, he said.

The results indicated 100 percent of those returning would be willing to move to Freeman Hall, and only 48 percent would be willing to move to Buchanan Hall, he said. Residents of Anders House voted against living in Buchanan Hall because it houses primarily upperclassmen and the community is more secluded, with private rooms. Anders is composed of mainly underclassmen — 36 of its residents are classified as freshmen and sophomores.

Because there was such a high interest in moving to Freeman Hall, residents of Freeman Hall are being surveyed to see how many students would be returning, Alexander said.

If Barton Hall residents move to Freeman Hall, that building’s current residents would be condensed onto one floor, and the other three floors would be filled with current Barton Hall residents.

Women from Tappan House of Barton Hall said they preferred to stay in Richardson Court Association but didn’t care where they would be relocated as long as they stayed together, Alexander said.

Amanda Helgeson, sophomore in mechanical engineering and resident of Tappan House, said living somewhere besides Barton Hall would not be different.

“I don’t see what everyone is complaining about,” she said.

Helgeson said residents of Tappan House feel like the decision to move has already been made for them. She said residents have not expressed any desire to stay in Barton Hall.

Alexander said the residents of Freeman Hall who attended the meeting were willing to let Barton Hall residents live there for one year.

However, Zachariah Varney, junior in electrical engineering and resident assistant for Busse House in Freeman Hall, said he is unsure if the building has enough room.

If there is room to accommodate the residents of Barton Hall in Freeman Hall, then Lyon Hall would be unaffected, Alexander said.

Hansen said he thought it was important to preserve the sense of community in Anders house

“Our main concern is keeping Anders house family together in that everyone who wishes to return is able to do so,” Hansen said.

Hansen said he has lived in Anders House for three years, and will graduate before Barton Hall reopens.

“It’s not even like it’s home away from home — this is home,” Hansen said.

While Barton Hall is closed next year, there is a possibility that it will be renovated.

If the cost of renovation is less than $1 million, the renovation project does not need Board of Regents approval — it would only need campus approval, Alexander said. The cost of renovation, if less than $1 million, would come from the Department of Residence’s surplus fund.

Alexander said he presented the recommendation to renovate to ISU Presidents Gregory Geoffroy and other administrators last week and hopes to hear their recommendations this week.

Barton Hall residents will be notified early this week by the Department of Residence if Freeman Hall has enough room.