The renovations to Psi Upsilon’s fraternity house have been successfully completed, bringing the house back to what chapter alumni call its “glory days.”

Renovations to the house, which is located at 101 College Place, first started in 2009. The project cost about $350,000 overall, said Jim Cornacchia, vice president of the Psi Upsilon Trust Association.

The changes to the exterior were needed, Cornacchia said, because the house was very outdated and dealing with moisture problems.

The project consisted of a two-phase plan, and focused on the facade of the house. Improvements were made to the porch, moldings, columns and exterior details.

“The plan was to bring the house back to light, and really making it a modern building while still preserving as much of the historic structure as possible,” Cornacchia said.

It was also essential for the Psi Upsilon Trust Association to perform these renovations since the house is one of the few wood-based structures on campus, he said.

“We needed this house to hold up during Syracuse winters. We want it to be around for another 100 years,” he said.

One of the highlights of the renovations was repainting the house, changing its color from a faded mustard to crisp white, said Greg Fortino, the chapter’s president.

The renovations faced temporary complications due to the house being on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was added to the register in the 1980s, historically significant for its architectural, engineering and social history. The house is classified as a Classical revival, its significance drawing from between 1875-1899.

The city of Syracuse’s historical preservation board was wary of using fiberglass to help restore the house, and wanted to make sure the construction followed the proper guidelines, Cornacchia said.

This temporarily halted construction last August, before the Psi Upsilon Trust Association worked with the board to find a compromise on using the materials, he said.

Cornacchia added that the university was supportive of the project, and started planting trees around the house, which improved the landscape.

“Now, we just want to be good neighbors,” he said.

Restoring the house to how it used to look has had a positive effect on the entire chapter, Fortino said.

“The changes really brought us all together, and tighter than ever before,” said Fortino, a senior economics major. “Having it look this way really psyched all of us up, so we’re going to make sure it stays in the best shape possible.”

With the exteriors finished, Cornacchia said he hopes the next step will be the Psi Upsilon Trust Association focusing on the house’s interior. Specifically, he wants to replace the carpet with hardwood floors.

Overall, Fortino said all of the brothers in the fraternity are pleased with the final product, and that the new renovations are reflective of the brothers in the chapter.

“It will be nice for students to walk past our house and see a clean exterior,” Fortino said. “I think it really portrays what kind of brothers we are.”

Published on August 29, 2013 at 2:06 am

Contact Meredith: mhnewman@syr.edu | @MerNewman93