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Monday, Aug. 28, 1989 / University Dally Kansan
Delta Chi members pleased with renovation
By Lara Weber
Kansan staff writer
After three years, Delta Chi fraternity members are getting what they've been working for — their house is boarded up, and they are living in the Jayhawker Towers.
And no one seems to be complaining.
And for one seems to be complaining:
"The mayor of New Orleans Road, is undergoing a process of remodeling, scheduled for completion in May, said Frank Bustamante, Delta Chi secretary.
"Our main objective is to get us back in the house by the fall of 1900," he said.
Meanwhile, members are adjusting to their temporary home in the Towers, where they occupy the first and part of the second floor of the D complex.
"The only real difference (in living in the Towers) is the thickness of the walls."
he said. "The Towers don't provide a totally private environment, but it allows us to become more of a group. We can maintain our unity, which is a strong advantage."
Bustamante said fraternity members thought that the reconstruction had had a difficult time.
The first two days of rush were conducted at the Kansas Union. On the third day, members set up a tent in front of their house so rouwwhees would see the renovation.
"We tried to focus on internal aspects of the fraternity, not just the building." Bustamante said. "We did very well during rush."
The fraternity has 84 members, and the house will hold 60 men after remodeling is completed. About 30 members usually live in off-campus apartments.
Although there will be considerable external expansion done to the dining room, kitchen and the house mother's apartment, the internal work is more encompassing. Bustamante said.
"We're basically cutting the entire building from the first to the third floor,"建筑设计师说.
May Contractors, Inc., Lawrence, was hired to do the reconstruction by the Delta Chi House Corporation, a nine-member physical structure of the house.
Phase one of the construction began last summer with reconstruction of the sleeping dorms to comply with safety codes. A new roof also was put on and work was done on all external windows and doors, for Jim Bjerkan, president of the corporation.
"We're now in phase two, which is the
final phase for the time being," Bjierkan said.
Phase two, which began in August, includes remodeling of all study rooms, creating one large bathroom/shower on the second floor to replace two smaller ones, enlarging the chapter room in the basement and enlarging the dining room, kitchen and house mother's apartment. The parking lot also will be resurfaced and landscaping will be done.
Bustaniana said another priority of the construction is to meet existing and pend-
"We're making plans to include sprinkler systems throughout the house to facilitate what requirements there are," he said.
Bjerkan said it had been 20 years since the last renovation.
"In that time, things had begun to
deteriorate," he said. "We felt the best thing to do would be to remodel."
The corporation put an emphasis on the
educational aspect of the house when
managing its operations.
Bijerkan said construction progress resulted from a joint effort by members, alumni, parents and friends.
"The rooms are designed specifically for study," Bjlerkan said. "We're trying to make the house conductive to a good study environment." That means that gives them the opportunity to study.
Current embers and alumni have been working for three years to raise money to pay for the reconstruction.
Bustamante said the work done last year cost approximately $200,000, and expenses for construction now being done are expected to be $1,000,000. Twenty percent of the work has been completed.
Sparkling new fraternity house is state-of-the-art
By Jim Petterson Kansan staff writer
The new Phi Delta Theta fraternity house at 1621 Edgehill Road.
The marble fireplaces shine, not yet blackened by the fires of winter.
The trophies, sitting stop immaculate bookcases, stand without a speck of dust, while doors swing silently or creak as the 90 members of the Delta Theta fraternity come and go.
In May 1988, demolition_crews tore down the deteriorating Phi Delta Thaera fraternity house, 1621 Edgehill Road, leaving nothing but piles of rubble and a hole in the ground. On June 10, 1988, construction got underway on a new four-story fraternity house which was completed, except for interior decorating, by June 1, 1989.
"From June 10 (1988) through June 1 of this year, the builders didn't miss a construction day," said Bruce Breckenridge, Overland Park senior and president of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. "After the Sig Ep fire everyone became really concerned about fire codes and the old house was in
violation of the fire codes," Breckenridge said. "After checking into the costs of renovating the house, it was discovered that there was only a couple hundred thousand
dollars difference between the costs of renovating the old house and building a new one."
The new house has a state-of the-art central heating and air
conditioning system; a complete security, sprinkler and fire alarm system; a computer and weight room; a library and an elevator making the house handicap accessible. Breckenridge said.
"Everyone took a lot of pain to see that the house won't be outdated in 20 years," he said.
Breckenridge said construction of the house was made possible by 450 private contributions from alumni following a fund-raising campaign organized by former KU athletic director and Phi Delta Theta member, Monte Johnson.
"I don't think there anyone else who could have done the job he did." Breckenridge said. "He exhausted nearly every resource we had. He traveled all across the country trying to raise our goal of $2.5 million. He gave up one and a half years of his professional career for his house."
served as a tribute to the alumni and the successes they had had after they graduated.
“It’s remarkable that people 20,
“40 years out of the house are
willing to contribute the kind
and time our $lummi did.”
hst.84j
Breckenridge said the new house
Rusty Richardson, director of alumni services of the Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters, said credit for the project belonged entirely with KU chapter alumni.
"I'm very proud of them," Richardson said. "They took a small idea developed years ago and nurtured it and saw it through."
"The quality of the house is just fantastic," he said. "I'd put it up against any chapter house anywhere. It's a model to our own fraternity as well as to others all across the country."
Breckenridge said he was pleased with the quality of the new house.
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