2008 Woodie Awards
Delt House ready for occupancy
Regina Pynn
Issue date: 1/26/07 Section: Campus News
- Page 1 of 1
Since April 2005, the Delta Tau Delta fraternity has been displaced from its house on Castle Point Terrace. Last week, the first of the brothers finally returned.
Stevens slated the Delt house for renovation after the house's deterioration called the brothers' safety into question. Before Delta Tau Delta lived in their current building, they lived in a building that Stevens tore down to make room for the library.
The institute contracted Vucci and Son to oversee the renovation of the house. Vucchit and Son have been involved in other Stevens projects, such as the Davidson Labs renovation and the construction of River Street Terrace apartments. The supervisor from this company, Del Tufu, called the state of the house "terrible." "I've never seen anything this bad," Del Tufu commented on the final day of renovation. "The first day I came here it was raining…more inside the building then outside. The floors were decayed …the basement had demolition debris, mildew, rats and possums." "It all came from 30 years of use," Ken Nilsen, Dean of Student Life, said of the deterioration. "Nothing had been done for years and the day to day usage caused the damage."
According to Del Tufu, the renovation encountered some issues with permits, drawings and plans for the basement that delayed work for about three months. The product was worth the wait. The renovations to this house did more than just improve the structural stability of the building. Increased energy usage caused by laptops and other electronics caused an acute need for more energy. Though voltage to the house increased to 400 volts when Stevens updated the sprinkler system, the building has now been upgraded to 600 volts. Stevens also replaced the plumbing, appliances and furniture. Renovators plastered over a first floor fireplace due to new fire codes in Hoboken and painted over much of the wood paneling.
Stevens owns the DTD house as well as the houses of Theta Xi, Sigma Nu, Omicron Pi, Delta Phi Epsilon and Phi Sigma Sigma. According to Nilsen, the school does not have any current plans to renovate the other houses. When the house is at full capacity, it will have 12 bedrooms holding 32 men.
Former Delta Tau Delta brothers who toured the renovated house were dismayed by the changes. Though they admitted to the previous squalor of the place, they maintained that the new floors, walls and paint had stripped the house of its character.
"I'm crying on the inside," Mark Larossa '93 said.
"We worked hard to tear this place down," another former brother examined, while covering his nametag to protect his anonymity. Of the new house, he said, "It's too much like a dorm."
Ryan Sullivan '04 had a very practical criticism for the fraternity house. "I don't see how all this linoleum is going to stand up to beer and punch," he joked. Sullivan then added, "It's strange not to see through the floor to the basement."
In the unfinished basement, which retains an odor of urine, a coat of dust and the original concrete walls, the former Delts seemed content. "Now this feels more like home," several remarked.
Stevens slated the Delt house for renovation after the house's deterioration called the brothers' safety into question. Before Delta Tau Delta lived in their current building, they lived in a building that Stevens tore down to make room for the library.
The institute contracted Vucci and Son to oversee the renovation of the house. Vucchit and Son have been involved in other Stevens projects, such as the Davidson Labs renovation and the construction of River Street Terrace apartments. The supervisor from this company, Del Tufu, called the state of the house "terrible." "I've never seen anything this bad," Del Tufu commented on the final day of renovation. "The first day I came here it was raining…more inside the building then outside. The floors were decayed …the basement had demolition debris, mildew, rats and possums." "It all came from 30 years of use," Ken Nilsen, Dean of Student Life, said of the deterioration. "Nothing had been done for years and the day to day usage caused the damage."
According to Del Tufu, the renovation encountered some issues with permits, drawings and plans for the basement that delayed work for about three months. The product was worth the wait. The renovations to this house did more than just improve the structural stability of the building. Increased energy usage caused by laptops and other electronics caused an acute need for more energy. Though voltage to the house increased to 400 volts when Stevens updated the sprinkler system, the building has now been upgraded to 600 volts. Stevens also replaced the plumbing, appliances and furniture. Renovators plastered over a first floor fireplace due to new fire codes in Hoboken and painted over much of the wood paneling.
Stevens owns the DTD house as well as the houses of Theta Xi, Sigma Nu, Omicron Pi, Delta Phi Epsilon and Phi Sigma Sigma. According to Nilsen, the school does not have any current plans to renovate the other houses. When the house is at full capacity, it will have 12 bedrooms holding 32 men.
Former Delta Tau Delta brothers who toured the renovated house were dismayed by the changes. Though they admitted to the previous squalor of the place, they maintained that the new floors, walls and paint had stripped the house of its character.
"I'm crying on the inside," Mark Larossa '93 said.
"We worked hard to tear this place down," another former brother examined, while covering his nametag to protect his anonymity. Of the new house, he said, "It's too much like a dorm."
Ryan Sullivan '04 had a very practical criticism for the fraternity house. "I don't see how all this linoleum is going to stand up to beer and punch," he joked. Sullivan then added, "It's strange not to see through the floor to the basement."
In the unfinished basement, which retains an odor of urine, a coat of dust and the original concrete walls, the former Delts seemed content. "Now this feels more like home," several remarked.
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