Plans to close down Buchanan Hall for renovations this May have been put on hold due to time constraints, said Randy Alexander, director of the Department of Residence.Alexander said the department did not receive the feasibility study identifying a program for the hall and the budget proposal until December. More than 100 residents gathered to voice their concerns to Alexander during a meeting Thursday night in Buchanan Hall.”For that reason, we have decided to delay the renovations until next year,” he said. “For everything to move smoothly, the architect selection would have to be approved by mid-February to get on the agenda by March, which is unlikely.” Buchanan has not undergone renovations since its opening in 1964, Alexander said. The project would take anywhere from nine to 12 months, and will replace furniture, windows, bathrooms, elevators, fix heating problems and update fire code regulations. He also said they will increase the size of rooms and dens.Buchanan residents said they were pleased with the announcement.”I was really happy to hear that Mr. Alexander delayed our moving out to one whole year,” said Kathy Zaimes, Buchanan Hall Association president. “As soon as he announced his decision I looked around and saw the happy faces of the Buchanan Hall residents.”Shannon Sauro, vice president of the association, also said her initial reaction was relief.”It is going to make the transition to moving elsewhere when the time comes a lot smoother,” said Sauro, graduate student in English. “This will also be helpful for international graduate students who will be coming only for the stay of the summer because they’ll be able to live in Buchanan. It’s a great place to get help moving in and having another year to prepare for when we do have to move out will be better.”Alexander also said he suggested the students form a committee to help plan options for the renovations and work with the Department of Residence about concerns and issues in order to create an environment residents can enjoy.Sauro said the association is in the process of gathering a group of residents together to help with the renovation plans. The possibility of transforming the hall into a dormitory for students with a sophomore classification and above, Alexander said, will depend on the amount of international graduate and graduate students living in Buchanan.”Regulations will be kept as they are now if the hall is kept full,” he said. “If the demand is not there and not enough people are filling the hall, younger students will be allowed to move in.”Renovation plans for the hall will begin at the end of May 2002 with a target date to reopen in either May or June 2003, Alexander said and optional housing for the residents will include University Village, Hawthorn Court and Towers Residence Association.