ge_facility_classic was the only downside of 4.1 in my opinion. The one that was released in Beta 4.0 was very good as it was very close to the original map. But it seems that was the reason GE:S team changed it.
We removed it because it was a map from the alpha days that doesn't fit in with the gameplay of 4.1 . It was very linear, didn't look good, and it inhibited the correct performance of nearly every game type.
Since the map was so straightforward and vast, with the armor spawns in such unavoidable and crucial locations, deathmatch was basically "get the armor at the start of the match or die every 5 seconds the whole time". Living daylights made holding the flag impossible as you were constantly surrounded, live and let die was impossible to win for the golden gun holder because a competent baron would always have enough voodoo power to teleport to the other side of the map, and CTK was either a perpetual stalemate or a capture fest.
This new version is a start in the right direction. Having solely the front zone removes the most linear parts of the map, and allows it to remain more true to the original. That's not to say the map is without flaws, but these can be easily remedied due to all the well thought out feedback we've received.
Besides, we all know the old version was only good for it's absurd LTK camping spots.