Restoration and Renovation Work Group Set to Meet, Additional Members Being Sought.
272 Clinton Ave. as it appeared in spring during the early 1970s as a Magnolia tree blossomed.
While delaying for at least a few weeks the signing of a retainer for the services of Andrew Plyler, Attorney with Mann & Wolf. LLP, DGT is committed to moving forward with its strategic objective of renovation for 272 Clinton Ave. DGT is carefully monitoring the impact of Covid-19 on rental income from the property and consequent level of available and reserve funds, at the moment, to support paying professional fees for the services being sought from Mann & Wolf. In the interim, DGT Alumni Association (DGT) is proceeding immediately to develop a work group made up of DGT members to come up with an updated plan to help guide Mann & Wolf in putting together a development package for the old fraternity house.
The development package will include analysis of financial feasibility, development of an overall project budget, securing financing, selection and engagement of an architectural design firm, as well as securing construction management and a long-term property management solution. During the Quarterly Membership Meeting, held online, via Zoom on April 25, members gave a green light to setting up a working group of DGT members to provide the updated schematic plan and guidance to the DGT Board and Mann & Wolf.
The first meeting of the work group is set for Saturday, May 16, at 11:00 a.m., Eastern, via Zoom. Five individuals have already agreed to serve on this work group which will report to the DGT Board of Directors. Additional members are sought. Already agreeing to serve on the working group are Paul Fletcher, Vern Ford, Kostas Gerakaris, Anne Marie Michael, and John Pagan. DGT members who are interested in being part of this process that will lead in determining the scope, program and design approach for the project should indicate their interest via email to Tom Fiorella (tfiorella@dgtaa.org), DGT President.
Some of the questions the group will address include but are not limited to the following: (1) What changes if any should DGT incorporate into a preliminary schematic design developed in 2014? (2) Will it be necessary and should DGT pursue a solution involving the need for and granting of a zoning variance? (3) How and to what extent will DGT preserve and restore some of interior spaces and details, particularly on the chapter room floor and in the stairwell that are meaningful to members who lived in the building and to the current use of the space as a private gallery, while also updating the functionality of the space? (4) How can desired improvements be carried out within a realistic budget and financing framework consistent with the local, Clinton HIll rental market?
The 2014 schematics principally featured a duplex that involved the garden floor and main floor, and three floor-through rental units, one each on the second, third and fourth floors above. The duplex unit would essentially be the unit occupied by DGT, with sleeping rooms, for members such as students involved in Gallery House.