With DeKalb County planning to implement a transitional housing facility in the old Delta Upsilon house, Greek students are not happy about the new neighbors that might be moving into their community.

It appears these students have an ally in DeKalb mayor Greg Sparrow.

Sparrow currently is working with the city to help a Greek organization move back into the empty house.

“In the past, the area has been dedicated to the Greek lifestyle, and I think it ought to remain in the hands of a Greek organization,” Sparrow said.

Sparrow believes the DU house is one of the “crown jewels” of Greek Row and should not be used for the proposed facility. Sparrow also said the city would be very willing to work with the county to find a new location for the shelter.

“I am not against transitional housing,” Sparrow said. “I think it is something the community needs, but I do not think it belongs in that building or that neighborhood. Let’s do transitional housing, but let’s do it in another location.”

With the help of Sparrow and the city, Delta Chi members are hoping to purchase the house, located at 1114 Blackhawk, from the county. Delta Chi president David Holtze said that in the past week, members of the fraternity have continued renovating the Delta Chi house to have it ready for an appraisal next week.

“Everyone’s been pitching in,” Holtze said. “We’ve gone through all the procedures to make sure everything will meet the proper codes.”

Holtze also said members of the Delta Chi Alumni Board of Trustees met with members of the fraternity last week. The group gave them the OK to proceed with the renovations in hopes to purchase the old DU house.

“We presented all the work we’ve done so far to the board,” Holtze said. “They also saw this as a reasonable goal.”

After the appraisal, Delta Chi will work with the city to find a buyer for their house.

However, last spring, the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity originally had planned on purchasing the vacant DU house.

In April 2001, the group made verbal agreements with Castle Bank about its intention to buy the DU house. The group was then planning to move to the new house in the fall of 2001.

In May, Castle Bank sold the building to the DeKalb County Housing Authority one day before Phi Kappa Theta was to sign the purchase agreement. PKT president Matt Marcyniuk said the fraternity was left scrambling for a place to live.

“A week before finals we had to tell the guys that they might not have a place to live when they came back in the fall,” Marcyniuk said.

Phi Kappa Theta filed a lawsuit against Castle Bank in May for reneging on oral agreements between the bank and the fraternity. The group is suing for punitive damages in the amount of $30,000. A hearing is scheduled for November.

The Phi Kaps ended up moving into the old Sigma Chi house, 910 W. Hillcrest, in August.

“We’re very happy with the new house, and we want the DU house to stay Greek,” Marcyniuk said.