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Renew Acacia

Renew Acacia: Restore, renovate, and reimagine the physical plant of Acacia.

 

Our Renew Acacia commitment is to sustain and keep building on our Chapter’s recent success and its growing reputation on Purdue’s campus, and continue to produce leaders of men in all walks of life. 

 

As pleased as we are with Acacia’s reemergence, we have faced an ongoing challenge with the physical structure of our 608 Waldron home. The accumulated wear-and-tear of 1,200+ undergraduates passing through the home since 1959 has gradually taken its toll. At the same time, the standards and quality for dorms, apartments, and competitive fraternities continue to rise. 

To attract and retain the best and brightest undergraduates, restoring and renovating the existing living space has become an imperative as part of ensuring Acacia’s long-term success. A complete rebuild was considered, but the costs versus the restoration at 608 Waldron were 20% higher, and the challenge of recruiting while the actives lived offsite for 2+ years, furthered by the loss of the iconic character of our Chapter Home, was a concern.  

 

A new vision, “Renew Acacia,” was conceived in 2022, and initial architectural plans and renderings were completed for a multi-year and multi-staged full restoration to bring the Acacia house back to a top-tier competitive level. Thanks to Bob Fanning’s anchor gift along with over 100 major donors, Phase 1 was completed in the Fall of 2024, including a new front porch and patio, renovated front entry and atrium, and new model 3rd floor study rooms in the north tower. The new iconic porch restoration is pictured with Acacia shining brightly.

 

Thanks to continued generous donor gifts, the summer of 2025 will feature the restoration of the dining room and the entry service area, including AC and new serving equipment. This is an important signature room of the house to make an impression on future, current, and past brothers.  

 

Future restoration stages will include:

• Upgrades to each study/bedroom 

• Upgrades to common areas to modernize, optimize usage with evolving study habits and chapter events, including the living room, study hall, and library on the 1st floor, chapter room, and game room in the basement.

• With appropriate donations, additional study rooms can be added to reach a capacity of 50 men.

 

Through this summer and since 2018, over $1.5 M has been reinvested in Acacia’s infrastructure and upgrades to improve the quality of life and the chapter house’s competitive position, sitting on one of the most envied locations on campus. Still, over $7M more will be required to complete the full renovation vision and become ADA-compliant. The Renew Acacia Capital Committee, chaired by Vane Clayton, needs alumni support to engage in this exciting and continued restoration program. To learn more about how you can make a signature gift and/or get involved, click here: