The men of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity will be returning to a renovated chapter house next fall after about 10 months of living apart.

The TKE house was closed in May 2003 due to financial restraints resulting from outstanding debts, said Ryan Burchett, TKE chapter adviser. Burchett said the fraternity was not able to pay these debts while the house was open.

“The house burned down in 1989,” he said. “We had it remodeled in 1990 and 1991, and a sizable mortgage had to be taken out to pay for the repairs.”

The fraternity needed to have at least 75 men living in the chapter house each year to break even. Only 65 to 68 men have been living in the house in the past few years.

“We had to decide if we wanted to sell the property or fund raise to make the financial picture look better,” Burchett said.

The renovations should allow the chapter to accommodate a workable number of residents and at least break even, he said.

The fraternity hasn’t been inactive this year.

“We continued to operate as a fraternity without a chapter house,” Burchett said, even with most members scattered throughout apartments in Ames.

“We continue to hold our meetings at the house,” said Jeffrey Engh, senior in transportation and logistics and president of the fraternity.

Engh said renovation will begin on the chapter house, 224 Ash Ave., in April.

The chapter house will be completely gutted and restructured.

“We need to be competitive with what students want,” Burchett said. “We need to be more in line with [housing] movements on campus.”

The renovated chapter house will feature apartment-style suites, with three bedrooms sharing one common living space.

“Each person can have their own room, or more can be moved in if necessary,” Engh said.

The house renovation will coincide with the chapter’s 90th anniversary.

“We have a very strong history at Iowa State,” Burchett said. “Nearly 2,000 men have been members of the chapter in the 90 years it has existed.”

Burchett said alumni-based investment allowed for the house to be renovated.

“The extensive network of alumni has been very supportive,” he said. So far, alumni have contributed almost $1 million to the ISU TKE chapter.

Sandy Clem served as the TKE housemother for 12 years. She continued to live in the house this year to over see fund-raising activities, perform maintenance and help make key restructuring decisions.

“I am staying involved and keeping in touch with my gentlemen,” Clem said. “I make sure their grades are good and check on how they are. I am an extension of their mom.”

She said the fraternity’s house will not be the only thing renovated — the structure of the fraternity itself will be changed to make it more notable for its leadership and academic standing.

“Our members will be paired with an alumni mentor during their freshman years,” Burchett said. “This will help them gain experience that they would not get in a classroom.”

Burchett hopes the new structure will produce members who are leaders on campus.

“I miss my gentlemen,” Clem said. “I’m really excited and can’t wait for them to come back.”