Strong Hall will become a housing option for sororities starting next year, according to an e-mail sent to fraternity and sorority presidents last week.

The e-mail – sent shortly before many students headed home for the Thanksgiving holiday – also included the announcement that the Phi Sigma Sigma townhouse, located on G Street, will be demolished when construction for a new Law School building begins.

“With the plans for a new below-grade parking structure that were approved at the fall Board of Trustees meeting, the townhouse at 2028 G Street (currently occupied by Phi Sigma Sigma sorority) will not be available for student housing beginning Fall 2010,” said Dean Harwood, director of Greek life.

Strong Hall currently houses female students ranging from freshmen to seniors. When the building is converted into sorority housing, two chapters will share the space. One chapter will receive the first two floors and have control of the first floor piano lounge for group meeting space. The other sorority in the building will have control over the top three floors, as well as the lounge located on the top floor of the building. In total, 105 women will live in the building, according to the e-mail.

University administrators are slated to come back with a decision as to which Greek-letter groups will receive University-owned townhouses in just one week’s time, but with the loss of the current Phi Sigma Sigma townhouse and the addition of the Strong Hall option, presidents were asked to re-rank their top choices for housing by Tuesday afternoon. The e-mail also noted that a four-bed townhouse at 605 21st St. would be available.

Harwood said despite the last minute change, the University is “still on schedule with the Greek housing allocation process.”