A building proposal to create an apartment building has been submitted on the plot of land that is home to Colorado State University’s FarmHouse Fraternity.
The Colorado FarmHouse Association has been working to secure a new facility to ensure FarmHouse’s future at CSU. This association is comprised of 1,000 FarmHouse alumni volunteers who currently own the land and house FarmHouse resides on.
Located at 633 W. Lake St., the area’s close proximity to Colorado State University’s campus remains a draw that will be passed to the new apartments. The Conceptual Review Agenda detailed the building plans:
“The applicant is proposing a 5-story mixed-use building containing student-living apartments and a fraternity with amenity spaces to support each use,” the description reads. “The project contains amenity rooftop spaces at levels 2 & 5 and 1-story underground parking.”
“Our current home, now more than 60 years old, has served us well, but it has reached the point where major reinvestment or redevelopment is necessary.” -Marc Rec, Colorado FarmHouse Association President
While many details are uncertain, the current continuation of FarmHouse Fraternity itself is not in question. Marc Reck, the president of the Colorado FarmHouse Association, said it is vital that members are able to continue as is while things are sorted out.
“The existing chapter house continues to serve as home to undergraduate members during this process,” Reck said. “Maintaining an active chapter throughout remains a priority.”
Founded April 15, 1905, FarmHouse has managed to grow and sustain itself for many decades. However, as time grows, so do their needs. Reck said the potential changes to where the FarmHouse Fraternity calls home is not the end, but rather a chance to grow into something more fitting.
“Our current home, now more than 60 years old, has served us well, but it has reached the point where major reinvestment or redevelopment is necessary,” Reck said.
This project is primarily guided by the Colorado FarmHouse Association, which is dedicated to the success of the fraternity and considering the bigger picture. They are taking input from alumni volunteers, advisers and professional partners.
However, this project is a work in progress, as there are several focus points to discuss.
“Our goal is to preserve a strong and vibrant chapter presence at CSU while providing our young men with a competitive facility where they can live, learn and grow,” Reck said. “At the same time, we are considering the long-term needs of the real-estate market, student housing demand and the broader Fort Collins community.”
With much to consider and many moving pieces, knowledge of the apartment itself remains very limited. However, Reck said there is a strong group of professionals working behind the scenes to ensure the community is served as best as possible.
“Because we are still in the exploratory phase, it would be premature to share specifics on design, costs or construction timelines,” Reck said. “We expect to provide alumni with more detail during Homecoming this fall.”
The FarmHouse Fraternity currently has 12 active members and maintains a chapter GPA of 3.85. They support philanthropy efforts toward Blood Cancer United, formerly the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, with $901 raised so far.
Additionally, the organization regularly volunteers with the National Marrow Donor Program, which was started by a past FarmHouse CSU president. In spring 2024, they had the highest number of swabs out of any Greek life fraternity that volunteered.
FarmHouse also hosts free concerts to help support the local Fort Collins music scene and help get people involved in the community.
According to Reck, the importance of keeping FarmHouse in a position to continue doing what they do stays high on the priority list.
“Our intent is to maintain continuity for current members while positioning FarmHouse to thrive for decades ahead,” Reck said.
Reach Janaya Stafford at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
