To make way for a new house for Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, the UA Police Department will move from Gorgas Hall into New Hall, which was an honors student residence hall until this school year.

UAPD will make the move in October, but UA spokeswoman Cathy Andreen said the process will not interrupt the department's round-the-clock police service.

"The University was already exploring options for a new facility for UAPD," Andreen said. "Gorgas Hall is an old building that does not adequately meet the space and accessibility needs of the police department. It makes sense to move UAPD and allow the DKE fraternity to remain in an area of campus that has historically been home to fraternities."

The fraternity plans to build a new house where Gorgas Hall stands the current DKE house will be bulldozed this summer to make way for a grand entrance to Bryant-Denny Stadium.

New Hall, at about 70 years old, is one of the oldest residence halls on campus. It could house UAPD for as long as two years, Andreen said.

The building is undergoing renovations that will allow it to accommodate police records and communications, and the exact date of the move will be announced later, she said. UAPD will occupy the first and second floors of the east and south wings of the building, she said.

The department will operate from both locations during the move.

"While it will take several days for the entire police department to get moved, the business office, which is the part of the department you would most likely come in contact with, will only be operating out of two locations for probably about one day," Andreen said.

UAPD business office hours will remain 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and no office telephone numbers will change, she said.

Officials from the UA financial affairs division will hire an architect to design a permanent home for UAPD, Andreen said.

"They haven't determined a site for that yet," she said.

UAPD Capt. Lee Harris, who oversees the department, could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.