The residential complex will not face the wrecking ball for at least three more years. The demolition of Stouffer Triangle on the corner of 38th and Spruce streets -- suggested last fall as part of the University's 10-year, $300 million plan to renovate all dorm and dining halls -- was immediately met with opposition from Stouffer residents concerned about the fate of their college house. But while University officials confirmed in January that the building would be removed at some point, the actual date for the destruction of Stouffer has since become unclear. Associate Vice President for Campus Services Larry Moneta said the demolition is "no less than three and potentially as many as five years from now." Moneta explained that the Stouffer Triangle cannot be removed until additional swing dining space is created in Hamilton Village, formerly known as Superblock. And such creation depends on the construction of additional dorms there. As a result, he said that the dates for implementation of the entire dorm and dining project are currently being re-evaluated, and updated timetables for the project should be available soon. "Now that we're into [the renovations] we have a better sense of how to do these things," Moneta said. "The key is to show the Stouffer community that first there will be heavy consultation before anything like [its demolition] happens." And Director of College Houses and Academic Services David Brownlee said that while the Stouffer building does have some "very real problems," what exactly will happen to the building during the project has not been determined. "The decision on Stouffer is linked to both providing a new home for the residents of Stouffer College House and to providing new dining," Brownlee said. "Nothing will be done that will remove that building until replacements [for the dorm and dining hall] have been devised." Brownlee said that if the building is destroyed, the Stouffer community will likely find a home in one of the new residences to be constructed in Hamilton Village, and may even get to help design the new house. "I think that the most likely thing is that they would get to participate in the process of designing a new, better college house," he said. But according to Stouffer Faculty Master Phil Nichols, a Legal Studies professor, residents of Stouffer are more concerned with the survival of the community housed in the current facility than they are about the building itself. "We're more interested in our community than any pile of bricks, even though we love that pile of bricks," Nichols said. Current Stouffer resident Eric Lomazoff agreed. "I think that everyone's concern here is that the Stouffer community be maintained elsewhere on campus," the College junior said. Lomazoff explained that one additional concern has been the "lack of contact [Stouffer residents have] had with senior members of the administration" over the last year. He noted that as information was withheld from Stouffer residents regarding the fate of their home, they have experienced some frustration. And College sophomore Winston Pear said that although he's heard many rumors about the proposed date, he's not worried. "I know I can definitely finish off here -- and I have three more years to go," Pear said.
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