Construction: Housing Project Is Part of $500M Redevelopment Program
Members of Kappa Sigma Fraternity at San Diego State University congregate at a 50-year-old converted single-family home near the campus.
Fifteen of the members actually live in it.
Soon, Kappa Sigma and seven other SDSU fraternities will move from the aging buildings they occupy into new houses constructed as a part of Fraternity Row.
The $14.3 million, 1.4-acre project is part of SDSU’s business redevelopment plan adjacent to Cox Arena.
The overall project will be constructed on 131 acres surrounding the campus and include 3,100 multifamily housing units, 300,000 square feet of commercial space, 710,000 square feet of office and research space, and a hotel/conference center.
At buildout, the project is estimated to cost more than $500 million.
Fraternity Row is said to be one of the first Greek housing models of its kind in the nation. Eight free-standing chapter houses, owned or leased by the fraternity, will encircle a four-story, 62-unit apartment complex.
The project, developed and managed by the San Diego State Foundation, will provide housing for up to 264 students.
Taylor Ball of California Inc., headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, was named general contractor.
Participating fraternities can choose to lease or purchase their house.
“The foundation is leading the effort to redevelop this whole area next to the campus,” said Steve Bloom, associate general manager for the foundation. “We want a community that provides up-to-date model housing for the fraternities and remain functional for many years in the future.”
The 2,278- to 4,360-square-foot chapter houses will include a private courtyard in the back yard, a multipurpose room, chapter room, unisex bathrooms, a food/prep kitchen area, computer/study room, offices and residential suites.
It will cost Kappa Sigma $650,000 to own its house, but members aren’t complaining. The fraternity selected the largest house and largest lot.
Steve Hall, Kappa Sigma’s housing coordinator, said the chapter will raise the funds needed from alumni donations, fund-raisers and the sale of the chapter’s current house.
Fraternity Row is expected to be complete by the fall of 2002. Bloom said more phases will be added, as well as a plan for Sorority Row.
