Arkansas State University at Jonesboro recently unveiled its $9.4 million Sorority Row, which features five houses for sororities.
Construction on each of the 8,050-SF, two-story Southern-style homes began in 2012, said Rick Stripling, vice chancellor for student affairs.
ASU’s construction bonds paid for the project. To repay the bonds, ASU has a lease agreement with each of the five sororities, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Chi Omega, Delta Zeta and Zeta Tau Alpha, which will pay the school for the meeting space in the homes, Stripling said.
Each of the homes can hold 20 students who will pay room and board fees to ASU, just as they would in a traditional residence hall, Stripling said.
This is the first time the five sororities had their own houses at ASU. They had been using meeting space in University Hall but outgrew it, Stripling said.
ASU agreed to build the homes because it sees “the value and benefit of living, learning communities,” Stripling said.
He said the manors have “created an enormous amount of excitement on campus.”
The homes were designed by WER Architects of Little Rock and Brackett-Krennerich & Associates of Jonesboro. The contractor was Nabholz Construction Services, which has an office in Jonesboro.
A grand opening of the homes is scheduled for Oct. 12.