Helen DeRoy Apartments come down

This summer we have been transfixed by the spectacle of the 15 story Helen L. DeRoy Apartments being demolished.

Built in 1972, Helen DeRoy's 244 units housed thousands of graduate students. Many babies took their first steps in Helen Deroy! This building was also the first home in the United States for generations of international students. But over the years the tower was plagued with water damage from defective construction materials.

Maintenance and repairs became financially prohibitive. In May of 2019, the last residents moved out and demolition began. Soon, the ground where Helen DeRoy once stood will become a grassy quadrangle flanked by trees. A massive complex of new apartments with room for 800 students has risen on the west side of Anthony Wayne Drive and can be seen behind Helen DeRoy in the photo to the left.

Of course, we all want to know if the wind will still knock over pedestrians walking from the library to Parking Structure #2 with Helen DeRoy gone. Come back in January to visit us and find out!