Saw this as part of an article about Valpo City zoning:
The commission also approved Valparaiso University's plan to subdivide 13 lots near the Athletics-Recreation Center into two lots. The university plans to transfer those properties to two of its fraternities. Those fraternities would then transfer its current properties to the university, allowing for VU to demolish the dilapidated buildings on them. VU officials said it would both beautify the campus and provide safer housing.
City Engineer Tim Burkman said it's a great project.
"It really cleans up a lot of odd, miscellaneous random property lines," he said.
I'm not sure what properties they have in mind but think it may be the Sig Tau house and the next door property??
Considering the houses in question are a pair, I'd guess Phi Psi and Sig Ep. Plus, the university has ideas for Mound Street: https://youtu.be/rtj7gNOr9Dw?t=99
Quote from: Vale O. Paradise on April 15, 2015, 11:19:30 AM
Considering the houses in question are a pair, I'd guess Phi Psi and Sig Ep. Plus, the university has ideas for Mound Street: https://youtu.be/rtj7gNOr9Dw?t=99
Wow! Great find! I know President Heckler has "fondly" describes those houses as "Stalin-esque" As a Phi Psi, I agree and would love to see the new houses be more classically designed as it appears, the new sorority houses will be.
Sig Pi and Sig Tau have got to be the worst and least safe houses, but my guess is that this relates to houses on Mound Street since the university owns that land and (as far as I know) do not own the land of and directly around Sig Tau and Sig Pi. It is truly amazing that the Sig Tau house hasn't blown over. The Mound Street houses are indeed "Stalin-esque", but they would also likely withstand a nuclear attack.
Quote from: vu84v2 on April 15, 2015, 12:34:29 PM
Sig Pi and Sig Tau have got to be the worst and least safe houses, but my guess is that this relates to houses on Mound Street since the university owns that land and (as far as I know) do not own the land of and directly around Sig Tau and Sig Pi. It is truly amazing that the Sig Tau house hasn't blown over. The Mound Street houses are indeed "Stalin-esque", but they would also likely withstand a nuclear attack.
The Phi Psis owned a house located at 801 Mound Street before the present house was built. As a result, I'm pretty sure the House Corporation owns the land. I'm sure the University financed the new house but it has been paid off was many years. As a result, I suspect that if the new houses include the Phi Psis, it may be a trade of land on Union Street for land on Mound Street.
I had some familiarity with the property contracts with the houses on Mound Street (though my information is based on 1980s information). My understanding was that each fraternity on Mound St. owned (or had a mortgage on) the house but that the university retained ownership of the land. There could be any number of reasons for this (and indeed it could have changed), but my guess is that the university never fully gave up control of that land.