House in Great Shape, but More Work Needed

Keeping Michigan Alpha’s 105-year-old chapter house in top shape is a mission of the Alumni Association that never ends. Accomplishing this mission would not be possible without the strong support of alumni.

The chapter house is presently in the best shape it has been in decades. The Alumni Association invested approximately $500,000 during the early 2000s in a major renovation to improve the structural soundness, compliance with Ann Arbor Building Codes, security, historical integrity, and comfort of the facility.

Each summer the Alumni Association does plan maintenance and improvements when financially feasible. In the coming years, we hope to perform a number of upgrades to the house interior, porches, driveway/parking areas, and yard.

Thanks to alums’ generous donations to the Annual Fund, the Alumni Association was able to perform approximately $40,000 worth of significant maintenance projects during 2008 including:

* Installation of new tiling, fixtures, and window blinds in the third-floor bathroom.

View of the old third-floor shower before renovation:

* Installation of new toilets in the second and third-floor bathrooms.

* Fixed the “bubble” in the second-floor hallway floor near the stairs.

* Replaced the main refrigerator in the kitchen.

This is the old refrigerator that was replaced:

* Repainted the stair railing from the foyer to the third floor. Also repainted the entire second floor and select third-floor rooms.

* Repaired a leak in the steam pipes located in the wall of the basement.

* Bought 20 new chairs and 4 new tables for the dining room.