UA Sorority Row Expansion
The University called all sororities together to present its suggested Master Plan for Sorority Row expansion. Dan Wolfe, the University’s planner, started by thanking the four groups who stepped up to the plate with the commitment to build on the four lots UA made in 2010. He acknowledged it was their leadership and example that brought the conversation of expansion for other houses to the table.
In trying to be equitable to all chapters, and keep sorority row intact and in the Central Realm of campus, the University put forth a master plan that will open new lots over the next several years and,consequently, free space on current lots on to which others can expand.
This will work like one of those slide puzzles you may have played on long car trips as a child. In order for certain houses to expand in their current location, it will require other houses to first relocate.
Ideally, this is how UA would like to see it work:
Houses on the east side of Magnolia Drive have areas on which they can expand without having to wait for another chapter to move. The plans for these houses are:
ChiO: add on to the back of its house by moving out into Barnwell Parking Lot.
PiPhi: add on to the front and side of its house by claiming the side courtyard area of KD.
KD: add on to the back of its house by acquiring the HES Design House (formerly Child Resource Center).
Upon going through the board approval stages, these houses could start as soon as 2013. However, since they will have to move out of their current house for a year during construction, the availability of “swing space” may determine the schedule. ChiO is planning on moving into the AGD house after AGD moves to its new house in January. It has not been established who may occupy ADPi. ADPi moves in the late spring of 2013.
Houses on the west side of Magnolia and east side of Colonial Drive will be part of the slide puzzle example.
Alpha Chi Omega: has agreed to purchase the ∆∆∆ house from the University and plans to tear it down and expand. First, however, we have to move and secondly, utilities that run between the back of the eight current houses would have to be reconfigured so the houses south of Alpha Chi can still be serviced. This factor, as well as the lack of available swing space on sorority row if the aforementioned have the old AGD and ADPi houses occupied, may impact Alpha Chi’s schedule and they would not be able to start until after 2013.
(Colonial) Alpha Pi; Phi Mu; Kappa; (Magnolia) DZ; Zeta; Gamma Phi: The University has proposed two new lots between Martha Parham and Barnwell Hall that would face Bryant Drive. The assumption is a Magnolia house would get one and a Colonial Drive house would get the other. They would live in their current houses during construction so swing space would not be an issue. If they can start in 2013, they could move in 2014 at which time their old houses could be razed along with the other older houses in this area so the four remaining chapters have space to expand. These houses would start construction in 2014 and be finished in 2015 at the earliest; however, swing space availability would be an issue since they would have no facility during the year of construction.
Theta and AOPi: It was also mentioned that razing the old Alumni Hall might be a possibility to gain space on the western side of Colonial Drive if neither of these houses opts for a new lot.
AKA and former ADPi: ADPi’s old house will be used for swing space like Alpha Gam’s during the Construction phase. Following that, there is a possibility the building could be used in its current state and AKA could expand towards Barnwell. There is also the possibility AKA could move to another house, ADPi’s old house be razed, and the two lots be combined to make space for one large lot.
Future lots for new buildings: There is the possibility to offer the space where Osband Hall and Barnwell Hall are currently located to two sorority chapters, however, the time line for the availability of those spaces is predicated on when the operations currently housed in these two buildings can be moved. This could be as far down the road as 2017.
So, if you were an entering freshman .....
The easiest way to look at this is in terms of the entering freshman class.
Some will be able to move into their new houses in the fall of 2012 or the spring of 2013 (freshman year). (DG, AGD, ∆∆∆ and ADPi)
The earliest others will be able to move into their new houses is their junior year (houses receiving lots 6 and 7 and the aforementioned remodels).
Those whose chapters cannot start construction until 2014 when either new lots or space is available would be ready would move into their house their senior year (when the houses that moved to 6 and 7 have moved or when the other lots are offered).
Still others will not get a new house before their four years are completed (when new lots are offered).
With swing space on the current sorority row limited to the old Alpha Gam and ADPi houses (assuming ∆∆∆ is torn down in 2013), if more than two chapters are displaced at one time for construction, there will have to be some flexibility in accommodating chapter functions. One suggestion was to use campus dining halls such as Burke as a common space for meals and fellowship and not rent additional housing.
Application Process
Chapters interested in building on Lots 6 and 7 have until August 24th to apply for a lot. The application is similar to the one DDD completed two years ago. Applying chapters will be ranked on need, grades, retention, service, and judicial compliance.
Chapters interested in relocating down the road (pardon the pun), have until Friday, August 10th to submit a letter of interest which will include their desired construction timeline and need for any “swing space” if they are out of their current house during construction.
If you are interested in seeing more of the Master Plan, please go to: http://issuu.com/alabamapanhellenic/docs/ua_sorority_expansion_options_2012
∆∆∆'s View on Expansion
Once again, we are thrilled to be ahead of this “rush”. It was, as Dan Wolfe said, a commitment to step out (or a leap in the name of faith), but so far, we have been rewarded with a beautiful lot and all the space we could need. We have also received overwhelming, unprecedented support from our alumnae.
We look forward to getting a new freshman class in a few weeks and then we look forward to moving everyone over to our new home next spring.
Front of new ∆∆∆ house from across the street. The house will face a park that backs up to the back of the President's mansion. Rooms on second and third floors feature a view of the mansion and quad.
