More than a year after University officials said they might remodel the Dickinson and Newing communities, experts have told them the buildings must be renovated or rebuilt to comply with more stringent N.Y. dormitory fire codes that take effect in 2010.

Architects from Trudeau Associates and the SUNY Dormitory Authority have been examining the buildings since fall 2004 to determine what structural changes must be made to prepare for the regulations.

“I think, based on the preliminary reviews, we need to do some work there,” said James R. Van Voorst, BU’s vice president for administration.

Van Voorst said it’s too early to speculate whether BU’s two oldest dorm communities will be renovated or rebuilt, but he suggested rebuilding may be the cheaper option.

“Renovation is a very expensive proposition…sometimes it costs more to change something than to rebuild,” he said.

If rebuilding is only slightly more expensive, Van Voorst said, the opportunity to redesign the communities may make rebuilding the most viable option.

“If you end up with alternatives that are very close, it’s been my experience that you are better off going new,” he said.

But the opinions of student governments, along with previous and current residents, will also be considered before the final decision is made, and rebuilding is not a clear winner among these groups.

“I think that Dickinson should be renovated rather than torn down, to preserve the personality that it has,” said Sarah Kelsen, a resident assistant in Dickinson’s Champlain Hall, which was built in 1961. “I don’t agree with the idea of tearing everything down when it gets old. It leaves no history.”

In addition, the chance to live in suites, the style which the newest BU dormitories have been built in, does not appeal to everyone.

“The brand new buildings like Mountainview seem very cold and hospital like,” said Amanda Bussing, also a Champlain resident.

Terry Webb, director of residential life, said the layout of BU’s two oldest dorm communities facilitated student interaction and promoted a strong sense of community among the residents.

“You walk into those areas and you feel like you are walking into somebody’s neighborhood. There is a sense of ownership on the part of the students,” he said.

But emotional attachments aside, many Dickinson and Newing residents think the newer communities provide a higher quality of life, and Van Voorst is looking to use the required upgrade as an opportunity to improve their other features.

“It’s the time to do it,” Van Voorst said. “While you are going to have everything torn up to make these other changes then you also look at what improvement can be made to give people places that they want to live in now, not what was built years ago.”

Van Voorst suggested more suite style accommodations as a way of improving student life, but better bathrooms seems to be some residents’ top priority.

“The paint is peeling from the ceilings and the showers sprinkle cold water out of the handle,” said Bussing, a junior majoring in English. “They need to be completely replaced.”

“Some RA’s try to decorate the bathrooms to make it look better,” said Sam Hunt, a political science sophomore. “Mine isn’t too bad but if you visit the bathrooms on other floors they are disgusting. They make you want to move to a suite.”

Webb agreed the bathrooms needed a makeover but he also said the electrical wiring of the buildings needed updating to handle the power needs of students today.

“There is not enough power in those rooms for students, with all the things they plug in,” Webb said.

The upgrades don’t have to be made until 2010, but Van Voorst is hoping the decision to renovate or rebuild will be made within the next two years.