FIJI At IU Wants To Demolish Six Historic Houses To Build A Frat Mansion
And many of the residents of Bloomington, Indiana are, shockingly, not very pleased about this development. What’s the big deal, though? Yeah, I understand Fiji, as signed off by the university, is proposing turning historical landmarks and iconic Bloomington dwellings into rubble, but have these residents seen what the fraternity houses going up these days look like?
We’re in the middle of an arms race, and if you’re not bulldozing century-and-a-half old homes with aesthetic and historical appeal to throw up a $5 million bone-booze-haze castle in its place, you’re not trying.
“But that colonial-style house on the corner was the home of the university’s first ever president back in the 19th century!” Chill. It’s not like he still lives there or anything, people. Plus, in only six short months it’s going to be the site of beer-in-hand lawn games, two-story beer bongs, public walks of shame, and a litany of atrocities of which that neighborhood has never seen before.
So, why is this happening?
Indiana University is expanding Maurer School of Law and signed a deal with Phi Gamma Delta to use the land their current house occupies. In return, the fraternity will be granted land at Eighth and Woodlawn next to the Kappa Alpha Theta house. That area also happens to be a part of the University Courts Historic District. Why the university chose these historic grounds to turn over to the hands of fraternity members, I’m not sure. “Neighborly” and “responsible” have never been words used to sincerely describe fraternity members.
The community is fighting back.
At a city council meeting Wednesday, residents and members of Bloomington’s Historic Preservation Board spoke out against the plan. Board of Restorations member Derek Richie thinks a new fraternity would cause multiple problems.
“I can only imagine after every winning IU basketball game what kind of parties there’ll be right across the street from you. I’m glad I don’t live there,” he said.
County Councilwoman Cheryl Munson thinks the university should protect the district’s aesthetic.
“It’s important for its architectural history and for heritage tourism for the people who come to Bloomington to truly enjoy what has been preserved and taken care of for a long time,” Munson says. “So it benefits not only Bloomington, but also Indiana University to maintain the character of these structures.”
The Fijis still have to raise the funds before wheels go in motion to break ground and construct a new house, so even if the plan holds up, it’s not a done deal.
If it does happen, though, and if these historic homes are flattened in the name of frat, this move will be a contender for the “F Move of the Year” award.
[via Indiana Public Media]
disappointed in you Dorn. FIJI’s are pulling a total power move.
12 years ago at 10:27 pmNo. Fuck FIJI.
12 years ago at 11:19 pm^ fuck u pledge
12 years ago at 1:05 am^ P!
12 years ago at 1:58 am^^^^ Aaaaand why are you disappointed in me?
12 years ago at 7:10 am^why do you give a fuck?
12 years ago at 9:39 am“I can only imagine after every tournament game IU basketball chokes away what kind of parties there’ll be right across the street from you. I’m glad I don’t live there,” he said.
12 years ago at 10:52 pmBack to back sweet sixteens!!!!!!!
12 years ago at 10:54 am^You guys rape enough underage girls to take the date rape crown from TKE
12 years ago at 11:45 amlayups and jump shots make the lawmakers of indiana harder than a crossfit trainer’s stomach after he finds out a girl is finally into him
12 years ago at 12:46 amFUCK FIJI
12 years ago at 11:04 am“Every winning IU basketball game” lolwut
12 years ago at 12:48 pmGo Big Blue
Sounds like the U set up the FIJI’s
12 years ago at 1:13 pmThere’s gotta be a compromise, relocate the houses, or build the house in a traditional style. Or forget the peasants and build it anyways. Sick spot next to the thetas, I foresee many shenanigans. P!
12 years ago at 2:55 pmWhat this article fails to bring forward is that MOST of the houses in this area are RENTALS. There is nothing historic or charming about the houses they’re planning to tear down. As a matter of fact, these houses look far worse than a fraternity would look sitting there. And no one has been concerned about the former President’s house up until now! I’m a Bloomington native and didn’t even know it was the first President’s house and neither did anyone I’ve asked. The people who opposed it for one reason – it’s a fraternity doing it. As said in other comments, there was no complaint when the Hutton Honors College was built. These same people who complained also have NEVER complained about the Sigma Chi fraternity house nearby.
12 years ago at 4:48 pmWhy be mad at FIJI? The University is the one that proposed the land swap. The fraternity WILL have a house, either by keeping what it already has or by building on land given to it in exchange.
If the current buildings are really worth preserving, then the issue is not that FIJI wants to tear them down to build a new house. It is that the university is willing to sacrifice these buildings in order to build new facilities for a Law school. Here’s a thought: why not get the university to build the Law school somewhere else?
12 years ago at 9:32 pm