The relocation of the Fiji house has been in the works since last year.
The move has been controversial, as it could have caused the destruction of multiple houses along Eighth Street. It also caused WIUX, IU’s student radio, to vacate its longtime home, also on Eighth Street.
Five of the six houses in question with the Fiji move will be uprooted and relocated. The five houses that could withstand the move will be placed on lots in the University Courts owned by IU.
IU might to use the homes from Eighth Street for faculty or residential housing, Mark Land, IU spokesman said.
The process of uprooting and relocating the homes is projected to start in October and be finished by Christmas break, Land said.
Transporting the homes rather than demolishing them resulted from various meetings with the Bloomington Historical Preservation Commission, Land said.
“We understand that people care deeply about the architecture,” Land said. “That’s one of the beautiful things about Bloomington, that people do care so much.”
Much like its neighbors, Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, the Fiji house will keep the character of the historic neighborhood. The fraternity house will be constructed with two-toned limestone, similar to buildings on campus.
“We wanted something that was befitting of that location, and there’s very strong architecture that fronts Woodlawn right now,” said Thomas Morrison, vice president of capital planning and facilities.
The University hopes the Fiji house will continue the architectural transition from campus to Woodlawn the same way the Hutton Honors College and Collins do, Morrison said.
Plans for the Fiji house have been approved, but construction will not begin until the fraternity has raised the funds to do so. Fiji will issue an official notice to the University when they are financially ready to build.
Fiji signed a deal in June with the IU Foundation to switch properties if the fraternity has the money within three years.
It has not been confirmed what Fiji’s current property on Third Street will be transformed into. The lot will most likely be used for academic buildings, Morrison said.
The University’s main objective for obtaining this land was that it was one of the few lots the University did not own in the Old Crescent.
“We do have to selectively think about where are the campus edges and where do we need to acquire property that allows us the flexibility to do the things we need to do in the future,” Morrison said. “There’s a master plan in terms of having the land that we need, and then at some point we’ll build a building.”
