Rubloff Hall

Long-term Savings More than Make Up for Front-end Costs

A $90,400 grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation provided the seed money for the project's design and commission stages and will help with the final inspection costs. A tax-exempt bond issue obtained by the University has financed the remainder of the project.

Matthews acknowledged that it cost slightly more to build Rubloff Hall. [A similar building, built using more conventional methods, would have cost $291,400 less.] But he and others at SXU are convinced that the long-term savings will more than make up for higher front-end costs.

"A standard building would last 15 years before it needed substantive repairs," he said. "Rubloff Hall is expected to last twice as long. Also, if it were constructed in the traditional manner, energy costs would reach $90,000 annually. But the new hall will cost the University under $60,000 for energy each year. It's also important to keep in mind that initial costs become less and less as technology advances and our own human knowledge grows."

Greener construction methods call for new ways of maintaining energy-efficient structures. Matthews said Rubloff Hall is helping everyone on campus learn how to be "green sensitive." University engineering, maintenance and housekeeping staff members as well as the residents have been trained on how to use, clean and maintain the new building and its features.

"We [the resident assistants] have the most direct contact with the other students living here, and we need to take the lead in teaching them how to take care of the building," Mossuto added. An educational kiosk in the hall's foyer also enables residents and visitors to watch video clips that explain the building's efficiency.

"This project forever changes the way the University will approach a construction or renovation project," Matthews said. "Rubloff Hall is our education platform for future building projects on campus."

Rubloff would Applaud New Residence Hall

Rubloff Hall is named for Arthur Rubloff, a prominent Chicago real estate developer and former SXU trustee who passed away in 1986. His estate named Saint Xavier a beneficiary. Steve Murphy, vice president for University Advancement, noted that, while Rubloff is remembered for developing numerous Chicago-area landmarks, including downtown's Michigan Avenue "Magnificent Mile" and Evergreen Plaza, he "held great affection for the city's South Side and for the Sisters of Mercy." Rubloff joined the Board of Trustees in 1980 at the invitation of life trustee Jim McDonough and former trustee Frank Schaffer. Rubloff was awarded an honorary degree from SXU in 1985.

Vince Gavin, trustee for Rubloff's estate and former SXU trustee, said several of Rubloff 's residential development projects included "environmentally friendly" features long before the expression became popular. He believes Rubloff would applaud the hall's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

"Arthur would always take the extra steps or spend the extra money to make efficient improvements in any aspect of the building process...the lighting, HVAC, the landscaping..." Gavin said. "He believed these accommodations were important for the residents...just as important as the brick and mortar." To date, cash received from Rubloff's estate has exceeded $2 million.