Members of Colgate’s Delta Tau chapter of Gamma Phi Beta learned recently that Colgate University will close their house at 72 Broad St., known as “Little Blue,” for summer 2026 and the following fall 2026 semester as part of the Third-Century Plan. The property, located at the end of Willow Path, sits adjacent to “the Loj” at 70 Broad St., where Colgate has already begun renovations under the same initiative. 

The move surprised members, leaving them scrambling to adjust their recruitment and housing plans, which they believed were already settled. Senior and Gamma Phi Beta house manager Katie Mathews said the announcement came as a shock to her and complicated her plans for where members will live next year.

“Unfortunately, we have been left in the dark with most of the discussions and decisions surrounding our renovation so far,” Mathews said. “I had to fill a roster of 12 girls to live in Little Blue for the 2026–2027 academic year, only to find out that no one would be able to live in the house that fall. This also obviously has implications for us in terms of recruitment. We all feel frustrated that this was announced so abruptly.”

Senior Tillie Killeen, president of Gamma Phi Beta, described a two-hour chapter meeting in response to the University’s announcement, which was four times the usual length. The meeting allowed sorority members to express their questions and concerns. She said members were particularly puzzled because no one had identified problems with the house that would warrant repairs. 

“Everybody was just so passionate, even though it only houses 12 girls,” Killeen said. “People really love Little Blue … its character and its charm. Nobody complained about the state of it, so we were a bit confused. We just adore it so much.”

Assistant Vice President of Residential Planning and Programming Terra Peckskamp and Dean of the College Paul McLoughlin explained the rationale behind this timeline from the administration’s perspective. According to Peckskamp and McLoughlin, Gamma Phi Beta was chosen as their next project because it has the fewest municipal roadblocks. It is neither a historic building nor on a floodplain, and its renovation doesn’t require a large number of construction workers — three factors that make starting on other Broad Street projects impossible at the moment. 

The timing comes down to logistics: Little Blue, unlike larger houses like those home to Tri Delta and Kappa Kappa Gamma, has fewer construction challenges, and the University has the power, sewer and water needed to start on its smaller-scale renovations. 

“The timing was right,” Peckskamp said. “I know the students are concerned about things like: do we really need it? And why us? And there are projects within the scope of 72 Broad that, if we don’t do them now, we might not be able to do them again for another 10 years — like the air conditioning and kitchen appliances.”

McLoughlin affirmed Peckstamp’s reasoning and re-emphasized the University’s commitment to supporting its students. 

“There is a Third Century Plan for capital construction across the University.
And there always has been. There’s always been a plan, whether it was a special-interest
community like the Loj, a fraternity like Delta Upsilon or a sorority like [Gamma Phi] to support that community when the house is offline,” McLoughlin said. “It may hurt recruitment — but I doubt it — because on the other side, there is a brand-new, renovated house, right?”

Members feel that the anticipated closure will put Gamma Phi Beta at a logistical disadvantage for fall 2026 recruitment. Little Blue has long been a strategic home base during rush, known for its baked goods traditions, cozy interior and unique wallpaper.

“Come recruitment, Little Blue has so much character, and it feels like a disadvantage for rush to lose it,” Killeen said. “We like to bake cookies, make it smell like grandma’s house. We’re worried about losing that charm that helps attract [potential new members].”

Identifying potential temporary locations, such as a house on Broad Street occupied by Gamma Phi seniors or the Hall of Presidents, poses new challenges. Transforming the Hall of Presidents into an attractive recruitment space would require an entirely new budget for decorations and an adapted planning approach.

Director for Fraternity and Sorority Advising Morgan Snow shared her perspective on how recruitment will be impacted and acknowledged the concerns of the current members.

“I want to validate those worries, because it is a lot harder to conceptualize. Okay, how do we decorate a larger space? How do we handle our recruitment routines and traditional practices when we’re not in the house? But I think for me, it is leaning into and really having confidence in the strength of this sisterhood in [Gamma Phi Beta] because people join people,” Snow said. “Little Blue is a great accessory to their sisterhood, but it’s not the only reason people join that chapter, and I think their strength and relationships with one another are going to shine through no matter what venue they’re in.”

According to Snow, her office is in the process of finding an alternative recruitment space — besides the Hall of Presidents — that emulates the warm, intimate space of Little Blue. 

“I think holding reverence for the small things … like the smell of cookies during recruitment, is a signature when you walk in their house. And how do we replicate that in other spaces? And so, thinking through it, maybe it requires us to innovate in other spaces on campus while still maintaining the same feel. It might not be the same look, but to still have those things that feel like, okay, this is our recruitment. This is what we’re doing,” Snow said. 

Gamma Phi Beta member and sophomore Scarlett Flight shared her concerns about how the situation will affect bid day and recruitment. 

“A big part of bid day is running home to the house,” Flight said. “Recruitment is kind of a formula, so it’s tough to see. It will be all this added work.”

Despite administrative efforts, the Gamma Phi Beta members were frustrated by what they saw to be a lack of communication from above. Mathews elaborated on how communication between Residential Life and Gamma Phi Beta has further affected her read of the situation.

“I was extremely shocked by the apparent lack of communication between Residential Life and those behind the renovation,” Mathews said. “I was not only uninformed by Residential Life that we would have to move out of the house, but I had to share that information with my direct supervisor, as they were not aware of this.”

Moreover, some members expressed frustrations that requiring residents to leave their Broad Street home for an extended period is disruptive. Peckskamp, who is planning meetings with the Gamma Phi Beta members slated to live in Little Blue in fall 2026, shared that housing options are up in the air, but two possibilities are moving into a townhouse or taking up a block of Parker Apartments. 

According to chapter members, the administration has said that their final decisions about Little Blue’s renovation were made only in the past two weeks. Some Gamma Phi Beta members said that the abrupt update, right after executive leadership elections, leaves their newly elected leadership carrying responsibilities they never anticipated or even signed up for.

Killeen expressed final concerns about the result of these renovations, potentially dulling the unique light that Little Blue brings. She expressed sorority members’ fears that the new building would turn out with a more functional, impersonal design, like what they’ve seen in other newly renovated Broad Street residences. 

“We didn’t want them to touch [Little Blue’s] wallpaper at all, but if they have to replace any of the wallpaper, for instance, the hope is that they would come to us with options. We just would like to be included in those decisions. We plan to have weekly meetings with them as the details unfold, but I think a lot of us have that fear of it being ‘DU’-ified,” Killeen said. 

McLoughlin recognized the frustrations but highlighted the project’s long-term benefits. 

“In order to fix the housing, you actually have to fix the housing. So it’s going to require some disruption to current undergraduate experiences, but it’s those same undergraduates who are saying to the university: these are paper-thin walls, the electrical circuits are broken, we need improvement. That’s exactly what we’re doing, but it is going to take a little bit of short-term sacrifice for the long-term gain.”

Killeen’s final thoughts emphasized the emotional importance of Little Blue for the community.

“Little Blue means so much to everyone, even when I talk to people that are unaffiliated or alumni … everybody feels so passionate about her,” Killeen said.  

Over the next several months, meetings will take place between Gamma Phi members, alumnae and the University to reach an understanding of which aspects of the house must be preserved — the signature floral wallpaper and blue paint — and which will be redone.