Water leak leads to kitchen repairs this summer

Alumni frequently ask “How is the house doing?”. Well, we’re here to report it is still standing but is certainly showing its age (aren’t we all?).

“We are in a constant balancing act trying to address immediate problems that creep up while planning to make the house a better place to live,” said Craig Stockbridge, House Corporation Vice President and Principal at GBD Architects. “We are fortunate to have a steady income stream from the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity which has helped us chip away at the problems.”

New joists and flooring are done and a stainless kitchen island is on the way.

Summer Surprise

Unfortunately, surprise repairs can consume the summer improvement budget rather quickly. Toward the end of last school year, the House Corporation learned about water leaking into the House Mother’s Quarters/Bachelor Pad from above. A closer look revealed the kitchen floor was sloping, doors weren’t closing right, and the back portion of the house was settling a bit too much. The source of the water ended up being the shower upstairs which was probably an issue over a long period of time given the damage that was found in the structure below.

The result was a six-figure project to replace floor joists in the kitchen, add a support column below, install a new floor, repair walls, and fix the shower problem to stop the leak. We also replaced the kitchen island with a lighter stainless steel unit and repaired the prep sink area. A huge thank you to brother Chris Wall (‘90, 1262) for helping us manage the repairs and keep the cost in check!

Blackberry bushes used to fill this area by the Mill Race.

YARD CLEANUP

The House Corporation also tackled some outside projects to spruce up the landscape. The work included cleaning out blackberry bushes all along the Mill Race, trimming shrubs around the house, spreading bark in the front, and cleaning up the side yard. The curb appeal is much improved. If you go to Eugene for a football game, take a drive by to see how the place looks!

Future Improvements

As we look ahead, there is an endless list of improvements needed to ensure we provide safe, comfortable housing for students. The House Corporation is already planning for next summer and looking into options to finance what needs to be done. The goal is to complete the next set of projects by the time alumni come to Eugene for the 100th anniversary on August 18-20.

Thank you to the House Corporation for its tireless work taking care of our home at 729 E 11th!