Tulane University - Fraternities’ Houses Rise From the Ashes

Tulane University - Fraternities’ Houses Rise From the Ashes

Fraternities’ Houses Rise From the Ashes

April 16, 2008

Fran Simon
fsimon@tulane.edu

After sustaining comprehensive damage from fires during winter break in January 2007, the Tulane chapters of Zeta Beta Tau and Kappa Alpha are rebuilding their fraternity houses at their original sites.

Tommy Connors, left, 2008 president of the Tulane chapter of Zeta Beta Tau, and Brian Hoffman, right, 2007 ZBT president, check out two three-story test pilings that were driven on March 31 on the lot where their former fraternity house stood for 50 years. (Photos by Paula Burch-Celentano)

Kappa Alpha's house of 86 years at 1036 Audubon St., which was determined structurally sound after the fire, was gutted, and construction has been ongoing. While the KA brothers had hoped to move back in this semester, they may have to wait until fall, says Jason Harbison, president of the Tulane chapter.

The house that was home to the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity for 50 years was damaged more extensively and had to be torn down. Groundbreaking for a new, 16-bedroom ZBT house took place on March 31 at the same address as the old house, 1006 Broadway.

When the ZBT house burned, it left the members shocked, saddened and homeless, says Brian Hoffman, who served as 2007 president of the Tulane chapter of ZBT, the oldest and largest historically Jewish fraternity in the nation.

The 13 tenants of the house initially relocated to two separate houses on Broadway and Freret Street, but are now together under one roof, renting rooms at 1001 Broadway. Despite being "homeless," the ZBT brothers completed 300 community-service hours during the fall 2007 semester while bringing up their overall grade point average.

In addition to the fire, the ZBT house also suffered some damages related to Hurricane Katrina. Building costs of the new ZBT house are estimated to be about $2.2 million, says Andrew Gibson, reconstruction chair. Insurance is covering the majority of the cost of rebuilding, and the outstanding balance will be raised by seeking donations from the fraternity's alumni.

The structure in the center of this architect’s rendering is the proposed design for the new Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house at 1006 Broadway St., replacing the former house which was damaged by fire. (Image from Wayne Troyer Architects)

Gibson, a junior from Maryland, worked for an architectural supply firm in New Orleans for eight months. Though construction isn't a career choice for the international and Latin American studies major, Gibson says he has been enjoying his role overseeing the project. Gibson credits local attorney Jack Alltmont, a ZBT brother and trustee who earned his law degree from Tulane in 1970, as a mentor who has "always been there for us, keeping us on track."

Progress has been slow. The contractor drove two three-story-tall test pilings that have to set for two weeks before an engineering company can conduct load-measuring and soil stability studies. Next, the fraternity needs to decide whether to build a traditional wood-frame house or one with steel framing.

"We've been through set after set of blueprints," Gibson says. "It's a real opportunity, for me to build a $2.2 million house during my college career. I'm always learning something new."

The 7,800-square-foot house will be built out of noncombustible materials to prevent history repeating itself. Gibson says he expects the new ZBT house to be ready for occupancy no later than February 2009.