Greek life — Above is a concept drawing of what the proposed Sorority Row may look like when completed.

UNT Board of Regents approves design, construction of UNT Sorority Row

In a July 21 teleconference, the UNT System Board of Regents authorized the design and construction of a new 38,000-square-foot UNT Sorority Row facility at Bernard and Prairie streets. The regents also extended the contract of men's basketball Coach Johnny Jones and approved a contract extension with the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. that will benefit intercollegiate athletic programs.

Board approval stipulates that the new Sorority Row will consist of five attached sorority houses (each with approximately 7,600 square feet). Each house will have 12 double-occupancy bedrooms, a single-occupancy ADA bedroom, one apartment and a common area for chapter meetings. The project creates 125 new residential spaces on campus. The shell design for a sixth house to be constructed at a later date is also part of the project.

The total cost for the five finished houses is not to exceed $5.1 million. Funding will come through the sale of taxable bonds.

The contractual terms will require the housing corporation for each sorority to make yearly lease payments to the university covering its share of the debt service and estimated maintenance costs. The contract will be for the same number of years as the term of the bonds.

Sororities planning to be on the row when it opens in August 2004 are Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Phi, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Pi Beta Phi and Zeta Tau Alpha.

Funds from student services fees that will be reimbursed when there is a prospective occupant will pay for construction of the shell of the sixth house. The shell design cost will not exceed $48,000.

The regents will meet again in early August to select an architectural and engineering firm. Construction is slated to begin around Nov. 1.

In ratifying a contract negotiated by President Norval Pohl and Athletic Director Rick Villarreal, the regents extended Jones' contract through April 2008.

Finally, the regents extended UNT's current contract with Coca-Cola (due to end in 2007) until 2015. The new contract will provide a one-time payment of $750,000 for the purchase of production equipment and construction of scoreboards and signs at Fouts Fields and other athletic venues on campus. It also guarantees payments of not less than $150,000 annually for athletics and not less than $10,000 annually for athletics marketing and annual product donations worth $2,320.

BY RODDY WOLPER rwolper@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• Almost 2,000 expected to graduate during UNT commencement ceremonies Aug. 9
• About the commencement speaker
• TAMS receives 2003-04 funds
• UNT, Texas Instruments to use $2.2 million for NSF-funded nanotechnology project
• UNT to award scholarship for 12 credit hours with Family Weekend drawing
• Howdy Week events planned Aug. 24-30
• UNT's Summer II enrollment down slightly from last year's total enrollment numbers
• Changes made to state employee benefits, leave, compensation policies
• UNT historian debunks Revolutionary myths

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