The demolition of two empty residence halls at UNK is underway as part of a broader plan to upgrade housing for fraternities and sororities on campus. University Residence North and University Residence South, both situated on the west side of campus, are being removed by National Concrete Cutting Inc.
Michael Cremers, UNK’s director of facilities, explained the plans for the new space.
“On the south URS site, they will be putting back irrigation and sod,” said Cremers. “The north site will be converted to more of a native grass area.”
Contractors have already removed underground utilities, such as the water supply, storm sewers and electrical systems. The demolition of URN has been completed, and now the sites will be leveled and landscaped into green spaces.
Built as a temporary solution in 1991 and 1992 to accommodate the growing fraternity and sorority community, URN and URS have outlived their original 20-year life expectancy.
Over time, these structures incurred the highest annual maintenance costs of any residence halls on campus, and continued mechanical issues made them unsustainable. Renovating them would have cost an estimated $37 million, leading UNK officials to opt for demolition.
Instead of investing millions into renovating these outdated buildings, UNK completed a $32.65 million project that provides modern housing for its fraternities and sororities.
In January 2023, fraternity members moved into a renovated Martin Hall, a 70-year-old building that underwent a significant renovation. The 42,500-square-foot hall now features housing pods, lounges and chapter rooms for fraternities, along with shared study areas and event spaces. Fraternities such as Delta Tau Delta, Phi Delta Theta, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Sigma Tau Gamma have made this their new home.
Bess Furman Armstrong Hall, a 41,000-square-foot building constructed north of Martin Hall, opened in January 2024 for sororities. The hall accommodates Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Phi, Alpha Xi Delta and Gamma Phi Beta sororities, with chapter rooms, lounges and flexible housing units. The residence also features meeting space for UNK’s multicultural sororities and fraternities, including Lambda Theta Nu, Sigma Lambda Gamma and Sigma Lambda Beta.
“These new residence halls represent the premier fraternity and sorority housing in the region,” said Jon Watts, vice chancellor for business and finance. “The decision to demolish any building is not taken lightly and studied carefully.”
Macie Farber, a junior in Alpha Phi, had the opportunity to live in URS.
“I really enjoyed living with my pledge class in the fall of 2023,” Farber said. “It definitely felt more homey, and I liked how we were kind of secluded from the other residence halls. Overall, I liked it, and I miss it.”
The idea of remodeling has been brought up to the project team, but Watts said while URS and URN were structurally safe, the buildings experienced mechanical failures that disrupted daily life.
“Through this demolition effort, we are eliminating space costs and avoiding significant investments in deferred maintenance costs,” Watts said. “This allows more funds to be reinvested back into our active housing portfolio.”
With the absence of the buildings, the University expects to save $250,000 to $350,000 annually.
Though the demolition project is expected to face some seasonal challenges, Cremers expressed optimism that the work will be completed by the end of the year.
“They are looking to complete it yet this year, that’s the goal,” he said.
As the demolition progresses, UNK prepares to move forward with its plans to transform the space. The $1 million project will see URN and URS replaced with green areas, leaving the sites open for future development. While the loss of these buildings marks the end of an era for many students, the University remains focused on its long-term vision of providing modern, sustainable housing solutions that meet the evolving needs of the campus community.
Photos by Lily Roby / Antelope Staff
