News
RSE 3.0 Clubhouse Improvements
As the RSE organization begins the journey from a traditional fraternity to an organization centered on education, we anticipate that significant renovations and investments at 1501 Sage Ave. will be necessary.
In the past 10 years or so, the Society has successfully executed a number of capital improvement projects at the House. Given the expectation that even greater investments will be necessary as part of the transformation to a “new” RSE, now is a good time to recap the accomplishments of the recent past. This is the first in a series of alumni communications around plans for house renovations and donation requests to support these investments.
At the top of the recent project list are the Front Porch refurbishment and piping replacement. These two projects alone represent over $600,000, all of which came in the form of RSE alumni donations and bequests. The cost magnitude of these projects reflects the quality of workmanship required and the nature of renovating a historic building approaching its 100th year. In addition to the porch and plumbing, the Living Room has undergone a partial renovation and an Alumni Museum has been built in the space formerly called the Card Room. All of these projects were showcased during the 150th celebration in 2016.
During the past 10 years the Society has also undertaken projects that are periodic in nature including replacing the boiler, hot water heater, kitchen appliances, and improvements in security lighting and monitoring. It is worth noting that systems such as these are largely funded from a portion of the Student Member rent that has been set-aside by the Society as a sinking (or reserve) fund. While the funding comes directly from the sinking fund, the Trustees execute the project to ensure that the materials and work is of sufficient durability and quality necessary for life at 1501 Sage. These projects represent investments of approximately $150,000.
Realizing that our building is approaching 100 years old and will require some modernization, the Society has commissioned plans for continued building modernizations that are collectively known as The Centennial Plan. The Centennial Plan was created in 2016 and includes extensive updates to the Second and Third Floors of 1501 Sage. These changes to the building are necessary due to the changing needs and expectations of students. The Centennial Plan is well developed though it will continue to be revised based on updated costs and current student feedback.
The immediate need for the 2021-22 time frame is to make improvements that support recruiting new Student Members. In the coming weeks, you will be receiving additional updates on the Room Refresh program which you can think of as “priming the pump” for new RSE. Key living spaces on the Second floor need to be improved in time for recruiting new members in 2022. Room Refresh is designed to accomplish this in a way that is coordinated with the much larger Centennial Plan.