The trek from Stevenson to the Jack Arends Art Building with large art portfolios can be as daunting for art students as the trek to Barsema Hall for business students. Gilbert Hall could offer these students a convenient answer.

Plans for the renovation of Gilbert Hall into a residence hall will enter their design phase in Spring 2011, said Brian Hemphill, vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.

Students are expected to be able to live in the building in Fall 2013.

$20 million of the Build America Bonds NIU will purchase later this month will be set aside to renovate Gilbert, Hemphill said.

Jeff Daurer, director of Capital Budget and Planning, said Gilbert will have air conditioning, new furnishings, an elevator, wireless internet, updated lounges and meeting spaces for hall council, along with updated laundry and vending.

The building will have an updated heating and sprinkler system, more private bathrooms, a safety center for NIU police and a new cyber-cafe dining area with an outdoor patio, he said.

Hemphill said the residence hall will offer single rooms, double rooms, and expanded double rooms.

The pricing will be comparable to other residence halls, but slightly more expensive because the facilities will be newly renovated, he said.

Aliki Giertz, senior art education major, said Gilbert Hall would be “conveniently close” for art students.

“Having to run all the way from your car or from the bus to [the Visual Arts Building], it’s impossible while carrying art projects,” Giertz said.

Hemphill said he has not determined which student population Gilbert Hall will be directed towards, but it will be offered to upper-class students.

Gilbert Hall is being turned back into a residence hall because of its location on East Campus, Hemphill said.

Neptune North is the most popular residence hall right now, he said, and Gilbert hall is a replica of Neptune North.

“We think [the location] is something that will be very beneficial [to] bringing life back to this side of campus,” he said.

Gilbert Hall would be the residence hall farthest east on campus and the closest one to the Visual Arts Building, the Music Building, Anderson Hall, the Engineering Building and Barsema Hall.

Daurer said there will be major renovations made to Gilbert to update many of its systems, but he wants to make sure to preserve its historical significance as well.

Gilbert Hall opened in 1952 as the third dorm at NIU and the first men’s dorm. Students used to be able to watch football games from their dorm windows, Daurer said, because the football field used to be east of Gilbert Hall.

Gilbert was closed as a residence hall in 1995 and began to house offices. Gilbert currently houses the Publications Office, Office of Support and Advocacy and Military Student Services. Daurer said he doesn’t know at this time where those offices will be relocated.

Much of Gilbert is now unused.

Sophomore undeclared major Tyler Boardway said the remodeling might be taking some history away from the building, but at the same time, there’s not much in there.

“I think it should be something other than an empty building,” said Melissa Broccolo, junior visual communications major.