The Lower Campus Initiative is a comprehensive, visionary approach to reshaping how students live, study, and socialize in an intentional community of scholars and future leaders.
With support provided through the Campaign for the Third Century, Colgate will remove Broad Street residences that have passed their meaningful life or are beyond repair; restore the remaining houses; and add new housing to ensure more high-quality housing choices for juniors and seniors — while preparing them for post-college living.
The Vision
Colgate’s lower campus, the area running alongside Broad Street (Route 12B), is currently a series of disconnected residential buildings ranging from large fraternity and sorority houses to apartments and smaller multi-room residential buildings with a wide array of architectural styles and internal layouts.
Buildings of the lower campus also vary in their age and state of repair. University records show the oldest building along Broad Street, (40 Broad St.) was constructed sometime between 1816 and 1825, and the newest (113 Broad St.) was built in 1967. While these buildings have undergone regular maintenance through the years, most are in need of major updates or repairs, as they were all constructed to support housing a student population that has grown and changed significantly throughout the years. In fact, all of the buildings on Broad Street predate the University’s move to become coeducational in 1970.
The First Priorities
- Absolute structures will be removed
- Renovation and construction work will ensure all future seniors will have the option of living in single rooms, if they so choose
- Nearly half (40%) of all juniors will have the option to live in singles
- New social spaces will be created for all students
- A new common social center will be created
- New dining options and meal plans will be introduced to reflect an improved dining experience
- New academic spaces for study and classes will be created
- All residential buildings on the lower campus will be renovated or replaced to greatly improve accessibility and fire safety
- The Lower Campus will have increased walkability and expanded green spaces
- New pathways will connect junior and senior housing on College Street
Where We’re Starting
Moving forward, starting this summer with 66 and 70 Broad Street, two buildings at a time will undergo renovation, expansion, or complete replacement. In the case of these two inaugural buildings, both will be renovated and both will receive significant additions.
At The Loj, students with an interest in the outdoors share a living-learning experience. The building houses about 12 upperclassmen each year.
The Loj was originally built on land owned by Professor Francis W. Towle, the principal of Colgate Academy from 1873-82. Sixteen years later, it was transitioned from private ownership to a parsonage for the First Baptist Church. Colgate possessed the building for use as a residential space in the late eighties, and since, The Loj has stood as a thriving community hub for students in Colgate’s Outdoor Education program, offering a unique blend of local history, education, and a shared love for the outdoors.
Today, Delta Upsilon is home to a primarily athletic fraternity. Though the brotherhood is often associated with Colgate’s football team, they encompass a diverse community open to students pursuing various majors and disciplines, such as computer science and firefighting.
Tom Dempsey ’72, a Delta Upsilon (DU) alum, is one member who often revisits the house and aids with renovation projects.
“I matriculated at Colgate in ‘68, when there were 13 fraternities,” he says. “What I loved about DU, specifically, was the diversity. I made friends I might have never met otherwise. It’s also just a beautiful house. The building is home to a historic library and suite-style housing.”
Founded in 1865, Delta Upsilon was the second fraternity established at Madison University, the predecessor to Colgate. While precise historical information is scant, available records indicate that the original chapter house was ravaged by fire in 1928, and rebuilt into a stone structure with a columned portico in 1930. This building has served as the DU residence and chapter house ever since.
Buildings That Encompass the Lower Campus
- 100 Broad Street, 1914
- 102 Broad Street, 1830
- 104 Broad Street, 1942
- 110 Broad Street, 1912
- 113 Broad Street, 1967
- 114 Broad Street, 1930
- 116 Broad Street
- 118 Broad Street, 1952
- 40 Broad Street, 1816-25
- 49 Broad Street, 1935
- 52 Broad Street,1837
- 66 Broad Street, early 1900's
- 70 Broad Street, 1974
- 72 Broad Street, mid-1800's
- 80 Broad Street, 1930
- 84 Broad Street, 1954
- 88 Broad Street, 1922
- 92 Broad Street, 1928
- 94 Broad Street, 1960
Support the Lower Campus Initiative
With support provided through the Campaign for the Third Century, the Lower Campus will become a vibrant and inviting community. It will help to fulfill Colgate’s ambition to create an equitable, intentional residential life program that aligns the University’s reputation for excellence and physical beauty.