Construction begins on new fraternity house

Seven members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon clad in hard hats and armed with shovels broke ground during a ceremony Tuesday on the upper level of what will soon be the location of the fraternity house.

The house will be built between the Phi Delta Theta and the Evans Scholars houses on North Jordan Avenue.

After the fraternity’s founding in 1907, members enjoyed one of the oldest greek houses on campus until it burned down in 1969, President Jarrett Smith said. SAE then acquired a new house on campus.

In 2002, repeated hazing and alcohol violations resulted in the revocation of SAE’s charter. Four years later, the fraternity’s vacant house caught fire and was later demolished.

About 50 students attended the ground breaking ceremony, Smith said, as well as chapter alumni, members of the national organization and Dean of Students Harold “Pete” Goldsmith.

IU alumnus Ronak Desai, who Smith said spearheaded efforts to recolonize the fraternity in 2007, also attended the ceremony.

Smith said in 2007 SAE restarted with Desai as the only member. Now, the fraternity has about 90 members.

The house will be modeled after the one that burned down in 1969.
Chapter alumni, many of whom attended IU during the 1960s and ’70s, raised about $1.2 million for the new house.

It is projected the house will be completed by July 2013 and cost about $5 million.

“We’ve been working toward this for a long time,” Smith said.
The initiative gained most of its traction within the last six months.Once complete, 68 men will be able to live in the house.

Prior to the ceremony, builders of the house had broken ground on the “lower” level of the property. The house will be built on sloped land, Smith said, and it is hoped the foundation will be finished before winter.

“Striving for the house has unified the chapter,” Smith said. “We’re really excited to take this next step.”

— Kirsten Clark