The alumni association of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity plans to spend $1.5 million in renovation work to its former house, which was closed Sept. 11 after a failed fire inspection.
“The alumni and general fraternity believe the closure will spark renewed investments in the facility,” said James Baumgarter, former president of DU’s Alpha Zeta chapter of Beta Theta Pi.
The decision to close the house was made by the advisors of the fraternity upon the request of the university.
The Alpha Zeta chapter was also removed from campus at that time. After the closure, plans for renovation began.
“As one of the oldest buildings on campus, the renovation is greatly needed,” said Baumgartner.
The fraternity is currently in the process of raising the money it will take to complete the project, which they are doing by gathering donations from alumni, according to David Jackson, alumni association president.
“It will be a safer and more comfortable house to live in, and we’ll try to bring it up to date to university standards around the country,” he said.
The overall goal of the renovation is to make it one of the nicest Greek houses on campus, according to Baumgarter.
“We’ll combine the old and the new, and with the location, it will be very desirable,” said Jackson.
Beta was the first Greek house to open on campus. It was founded in 1889, 25 years after the University was founded. The house was built in 1927.
The renovations will update the building, which is located on Old Fraternity Row. The fraternity also plans to increase the houses living capacity from 12 to 25.
After the renovation, the fraternity will begin a process called “recolonization” under the Men of Principle Initiative.
According to Beta Theta Pi’s national office, the Men of Principle Initiative was established to help focus the fraternity and each individual chapter on Beta’s original purpose and commit to the vision of its founders.
Recolonization is when a chapter closes for a period of time and reestablishes itself on campus with the help of the national organization, in the same manner they would if a new chapter was opening.
Beta’s recolonization is currently set for fall of 2010.
