It's Now or Never
Since its construction in 1926, thousands of women have made the Alpha Delta Pi house their collegiate home. It was there that we learned valuable leadership lessons and forged life-long friendships that we continue to enjoy and draw support from today.
However, over time the house has fallen into disrepair. High maintenance and repair costs are depleting the budget and the condition of the house is hurting recruitment.
With adjacent campus real estate at a premium, it is important for the chapter to maximize its existing assets at such a desirable campus location, while preserving the historical significance of Sigma with both Alpha Delta Pi Sorority and the campus.
Even with careful attention and maintenance, time had taken its toll on the nearly 100-year-old structure at 1202 W. Nevada. Electrical wiring and plumbing issues escalated over the years, and we had very significant HVAC issues; when combined with the fact that windows and roof are in disrepair, the living quarters were very uncomfortable in Illinois. Addressing the increasingly frequent infrastructure issues to ensure the health and welfare of our membership became financially burdensome.
The chapter’s growth in membership is below campus averages. The state of the structure at 1202 W. Nevada hurts recruitment and the future of the chapter.
- One functional shower
- Non-flushing toilets
- Life safety, such as fire alarm systems, are not functional
- The guest bathroom was very small, outdated, and did not meet ADA guidelines.
If you have been on campus lately, you will have noticed both new construction and renovations and additions to sorority housing. These new or renovated homes each offer 20,000 - 30,000 square feet of space that respond to membership growth and provide the type of living conditions that can compete in the student housing market.
To continue attracting the next generation of Sigma sisters, the chapter must provide a safe, modern, and competitive facility.
Many sororities on campus have invested considerably in new and updated housing over the past five years. To continue to recruit high-caliber sisters, we must offer a safe, modern facility for our undergraduate sisters. Additionally, the University continues to build 21st-century dormitories which feature state-of-the-art facilities that provide living options for students that are significantly upgraded from the dorm rooms of yesteryear. Faced with competition for modern rental space, and recognizing the demand for better housing, private landlords are building more sophisticated apartment options off-campus.
The house has been redecorated a number of times in the last century, but the challenge we recognized was clear: to remain a competitive option in the local housing market, serious living and meeting space issues require our immediate attention before they affect the health and safety or our members and before they influence our recruitment effectiveness.
The Plan Forward
To consider options, the Sigma House Corporation completed a needs assessment and feasibility study to plan for the Chapter’s future. The overwhelming consensus of this review was that our 100-year-old home’s mechanical, HVAC, plumbing, and fixtures have reached the end of their life expectancy and must be completely renovated, while preserving Sigma’s historical significance in Urbana and on campus. Recognizing the urgency of the problems, the House Corporation Board voted to begin construction in May 2023, as our beloved house simply wouldn’t make it one more year.
The Sigma Chapter Preservation Project allows us to:
- Provide exclusively educational areas including a computer room, quiet study rooms for online exams, study lounges, and a library.
- Provide restrooms for our out-of-house sisters and guests.
- Remain competitive, as many sorority houses have been or are being completely rebuilt or have had significant additions.
The House Corporation engaged Reifsteck and Reid Architects and Catalyst Construction to manage the preservation project. The plans allow the chapter to retain our historical significance while providing upgraded living space and modern technology and infrastructure to support our sisters' academics.
The total cost of this project is approximately $4 million. Our financial analysis confirms that rents from the undergraduates will cover most of the cost over time, but we do need the participation of our alumnae to keep the doors open at 1202 W. Nevada for years to come.
