ASU Fraternity Houses Remain Boarded-Up on Alpha Drive

Fraternity houses on Alpha Drive at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus remain fenced off and boarded up, despite a renovation project proposed 6 years ago.

Administration discussed the “Threshold Project” at the start of the 2006 academic year, in a news letter released by the university’s president Michael Crow.

A website made by the company in charge of the project said the “Threshold Project” will provide, “a dynamic, high-density, mixed-use village filled with a multitude of restaurants, shops, a four-star hotel, student housing, active plazas and open space.”

Despite these exciting plans, “no trespassing” signs still hang on the the fabric lined fences blocking off the area separating fraternity members from the houses they love.

Alexander Simone, 19, past resident of the Alpha Epsilon Pi house, said his fraternity has not been contacted by the university regarding this project.

“Threshold is a project created to make Greek life think they were getting new homes,” said Simone, “Instead of involving the fraternity’s in what was going on, the school kept most of us out of the loop.”

Fraternities are now struggling to find places they can live together in mass numbers as well as new meeting places.

“If it looks like this is going to take much longer than intended, why is my chapter struggling to find a new home where a perfectly good one filled with Alpha Epsilon Pi history and memories is just sitting on Alpha Drive wasting away?” said Simone.

Although the houses were not in the best condition before they were boarded-up by the university, fraternities still held them near and dear. They were a place for the fraternities to call their own. They hosted special events, meetings and held memories of letting loose on the weekends.

Kelso Zell, 21, a junior member of Sigma Phi Epsilon said that the fraternity acknowledged the house’s need of work and had started remodeling the house when the university took over. The fraternity was $250,000 deep into the process.

“The house represents us as a group and holds memories,” said Zell, “It was a home living amongst your best friends. It has history of past classes and was meant to be there for future kids”

Fraternities now lack their houses and see nothing being done with the area, which is frustrating for some.

“The fact that our houses are sitting there, condemned, and they’re doing absolutely nothing with that land is upsetting,” said Constantine Harrison, 23, senior member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Future ASU student, Courynn Waryn, 18, was confused as to what the houses were upon touring.

“They looked somewhat like an eyesore because they haven’t been used and are abandoned,” said Waryn, “I just thought they were old dorms that weren’t being used anymore.”

Contacts:

Alexander Simone- amsimone@gmail.com

Constantine Harrison- dino_harrison@sbcglobal.net

Kelso Zell- kjzell@asu.edu

Courynn Waryn- courynnknowsbest@aol.com