NT clears longtime frat house

Cerebus · July 25, 2002

Click here.

Stan R · July 25, 2002

Hate to ask this again - but I can't get to the NT daily site - Could someone repost?

THANKS!

GMG!

Brian · July 25, 2002

I think that the site may be down...

Stan R · July 25, 2002

I haven't seen the article yet, but I'm assuming this is the Sigma Phi Epsilon house. So sad. I lived in there my first year at UNT. They actually are soliciting funds (where have I heard that before) for a new house to be built on Fraternity Row. Being the largest national fraternity, it could happen soon with assitance from national housing co. By the way, the Sigma Chi house is being built right next to the area of the Sig Ep house. This is great and will add to the main row greatly.

GMG!

Cerebus · July 25, 2002

Hate to ask this again - but I can't get to the NT daily site - Could someone repost?
THANKS!
GMG!

NT clears longtime frat house

Sigma Phi Epsilon members plan new home, grieve loss of building

By Mandy Fry

Daily Reporter

July 25, 2002

A piece of NT’s greek history was torn down this week.

The Sigma Phi Epsilon house on the corner of Avenue C and Highland streets was demolished to make way for a commons that will run from the Gateway Center to Avenue C.

“It was a compromise between the fraternity and North Texas.

The fraternity was looking to build a new house and North Texas wanted the land,” said Carrollton junior John Kolinofsky, Sigma Phi Epsilon president.

NT paid the appraised value of $400,000 for the house and land. It cost another $17,500 for the demolition.

The fraternity will build a new house on the corner of Maple and Welch streets. Groundbreaking is scheduled for January.

The Sigma Phi Epsilon house has been a part of the NT campus for 50 years, since Phi Alpha Tau turned into Sigma Phi Epsilon in 1952.

The original house, referred to then as the “White House,” faced Maple Street and stood where the gravel parking lot was.

Fraternity members had a new house built in 1956.

The first section of the new building had the red room, big room and living space for 10. In 1962, the fraternity built the second section of the house – a two-story, 28-room dormitory.

Trent Kutch, Grand Prairie senior, lived in the house for two years. Whenever anyone had a problem, there was someone who had already gone through a similar situation, he said.

“It was a family away from family,” he said.

“The house was more of a meeting place. To NT, it may have been seen as a hole in the wall or an old, rusted Motel 6, but to us, it was our home.”

Robert Creamer, Austin sophomore, lived in the house for more than a year.

“It was where our family met, where we had initiations, where we cried,” he said.

“There are a million and eight memories there. It’s very saddening to see it being knocked down.” end of article dingbat

Stan R · July 25, 2002

Well, that's what I thought. I'll miss that old roach infested place. NOT! Anyway, they are making room for a commons... I hadn't heard that plan. There is a lot of land in between Gateway and the sig ep house. Are they going to tear up that parking lot behind it as well? What exactly is a commons? Is this going to be like a second student center? That area is prime property - probably some of the most expensive land at NT. I'm curious as to what the master plans look like for that area.

GMG!

Cerebus · July 25, 2002

What exactly is a commons?

That is exactly what I wondered, anybody know what they mean by that?

UNTFan23 · July 25, 2002

Perhaps, by using the term commons, they'll be turning it into a park! YEAH! It's already got plenty of trees, just get the grass to grow, install a sprinkler system, and it's ready to use. Putting in some picnic tables and a swing set would be awesome.

Nothing against the SigEps, but I'm glad to see that place go down. Now to get rid of the 2 [other] roach motels between Clark and the SuperPit.

Stan R · July 25, 2002

Umm.. I don't know about a park. I don't think the univerisity would have paid 400K for a picnic area. Sounds great, but they already have that across the street. They are going to build something big there. As a Sig Ep, who lived in that house, the only reason people lived in the house was because of it's location. Everyone wanted that house torn down as long as getting a replacement was a done deal. I actually lived in the Sierra apts across the street in the area you are talking about as well. That place is nasty. No doubt about it. It needs to be taken down, period.

GMG!

3XNTGRAD · July 25, 2002

The commons would be a planned building-lined mall that connects the Gateway center to the central campus (cutting straight across the area where the Sig Ep house was and between the Music Building and the Willis Library).

The master plan has an illustration of this:

Link to UNT Master Plan

The plan is a little out of date, because the Gateway Center is not two separate buildings like shown in the drawing.

UNTFan23 · July 25, 2002

Sounds great, but they already have that across the street.

Perhaps, but they built a chapel right in the middle of Crumley Park. Everyone complains about the lack of students on campus and how we are labeled as a commuter school. Problem is, there isn't much to do [on campus] right now. Providing space for leisure activities is a step in the right direction. If they do put in buildings there, I hope they don't tear down any of those oak trees. Plus, from the sounds of the plan, they might take out the commuter lot in front of Clark, which would make parking in that corner of the school (what is already) a nightmare for residents of Mozart/Clark/Maple/Crumley/commuter students on top of any event held at the SuperPit/Fouts/Murchinson PAC.

DallasGreen · July 25, 2002

Anything that makes it harder for commuters and encourages students to live in Denton or close surrounding area is much appreciated. Commuters are much like parasites in that they take while they are students, usually don't participate in campus organizations while there, contribute to a long standing tradition of apathy because they remain unaware of their school's traditions and activities, and generally make sorry alumni never giving time or money back to their alma mater that has provided them with the means to earning a livelihood.