Chi Omega House Under Renovation and Construction

The $10 million renovation and reconstruction of the 87-year-old Chi Omega sorority house on the University of Arkansas campus is in full swing.

General contractor Baldwin & Shell Construction Co. of Rogers is renovating 9,000 SF, tearing down functionally obsolete additions on the north and west sides of the house, and adding 28,000 SF of new construction.

Mario Beltran, the project manager, said the new wings will match the original building in terms of brick and mortar, but the interior will be ultra-modern.

Hallmarks of the project include an enlarged chapter room, small and large study rooms, an enlarged dining hall, and a Founder’s Library, among other amenities. The historic entrance and foyer will be preserved.

Once completed, the house will sleep as many as 92 people.

The Psi Chapter of Chi Omega, founded at UA in 1895, is the founding chapter of the entire sorority, which is now the largest such women’s organization in the National Panhellenic Conference.

Chi Omega is leaning on its deep ties and wide appeal to raise the funds needed to close out the renovation of the building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

Paula Irwin, president of Chi Omega Psi Chapter Corp., said $3.8 million has already been raised, but that naming rights throughout the house are still available.

This fall, chiomegapsi.com, which will chronicle the restoration, should be up and running. Even though nearly $4 million has already been raised, Irwin said the big fundraising push will begin this fall.

“The response has been amazing,” she said.