From projects to meet city codes to moving millions on plans as major as building a new house, the faces of several fraternities in the Langdon Street neighborhood are set for some changes in the coming months. Here’s a snap shot of the details on a few of the projects:
Theta Chi
Theta Chi fraternity demolished its existing house and is
beginning construction of a new 33 bedroom house on 210 Langdon St..
Fraternity President Chris Lawrence said the old
house needed a sprinkler system to meet a city ordinance that stipulates all fraternities and sororities must have a similar system installed. Lawrence said the alumni who own the building
said it would make more sense to build a new house, rather than pay for the system.
The project will likely cost between $2.5 million and $3
million, although it will depend on how many funds the fraternity is able to
raise, Lawrence said.
Theta Chi’s new house has already met city approval, but
the city still needs to approve some minor exterior and aesthetic things, Lawrence said. The new building should be completed by
June 2014.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
The fraternity’s proposal for a new house at its current 627 Lake St. address was deferred by the city in early
August.
Members hopes to build a new lakefront building allowing them to house more members, John Etter, an SAE officer, said at a meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals last month. In addition to lacking space, the current building also requires the installation of a new sprinkler system in order to meet city ordinances, he said.
The plan was deferred on
Aug. 8 because the fraternity requested a 53-foot setback from the water
instead of the standard 75 feet, Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said.
Members of the fraternity will reveal updated plans for the building at the next committee meeting on Sept. 5.
Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon fraternity’s house is set to undergo
renovations starting this winter on their house at 644 N. Francis St.
Eric Flanagan, a Delta Upsilon Foundation member, said the
current building is very old and has no renovations since the 1950s. The
fraternity also had to meet the city ordinance that a sprinkler system be
installed in all buildings.
The inside of the house will be completely redone. However, the outside of the building will look similar to what it does now in order to
preserve the historic nature of the building, Flanagan said.
The project will cost around $1.7 million, Flanagan said, and
fundraising efforts will continue through fall of 2014. Flanagan said
construction is scheduled to begin in January 2014.