Despite being closed for nearly a year, there are no plans regarding the future of the University Apartments complex.

The housing unit was formerly used as a complex where students with children, partners and other non-traditional students lived. It is located north of Lincoln Hall.

With the completion of the Northern View Community in fall 2007, all University Apartments residents moved out. Since then, it has been emptied and locked up. Only the parking lots are in use.

Michael Stang, director of Housing and Dining, said one reason the switch was made to Northern View was because of the room size.

“They’re not really appropriate for students with families nor appropriate for students with partners because they are not that big,” Stang said.

Stang described a University Apartment room as being as big as a dorm room with a kitchen and bathroom added on.

In addition, Northern View also provides its residents with a computer lab, as opposed to the two computers that once occupied a public room in the old housing complex. University Apartments also did not have space for holding meetings or community events.

“What we’re able to offer out at Northern View Community is much nicer and much newer,” Stang said.

Despite University Apartments being obsolete, there are no plans whatsoever to tear down or renovate the building. Eddie Williams, executive vice president of finance and facilities and chief of operations, said the university is beginning to look at possible options for the old facility; but what those options are is unknown.

When asked what should be done with the building, students gave similar answers.

Senior marketing major Pat Kaiser said he believes University Apartments could be demolished and the nearby parking lots could be expanded.

“If the university doesn’t have plans to utilize the building or selling it off to a third party, they should look into using it for parking space because there’s always a shortage of parking here,” Kaiser said.

Sophomore business major Nick Barich also suggested expanding the parking lots.

“You could always use more parking,” Barich said.

Construction for the complex began in 1959, with students first occupying the building in Sept. 1960, according to NIU archives.