Trustees approve buying land

FAYETTEVILLE — Trustees on Friday approved three land purchases totaling about $1.7 million by the University of Arkansas to clear the way for a new sorority house near the main campus.

The properties, which include a 12-unit apartment complex and two rental houses, are “being purchased so they can be demolished for the construction of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority house,” Chancellor Joe Steinmetz told the University of Arkansas board.

Two new sorority houses opened last August, and new houses for the Delta Gamma and Kappa Delta sororities were completed for the current fall semester. Those four projects involved more than $45 million in construction, based on information from UA and the university’s Skyline Report on real estate.

In the past, some of these sorority house projects involved UA-owned land but relied on fundraising by the organizations.

Wendy Barker, a spokeswoman for the national Alpha Gamma Delta organization, said “we are excited to join the University of Arkansas community in the future.” She declined to comment about house plans.

UA has 11 Panhellenic Council sororities, and a university spokesman said Alpha Gamma Delta isn’t currently a campus organization.

“We’re too early in the process to talk about this, the process of organizing and wanting to be a part of the university’s Greek organizations,” UA spokesman Scott Flanagin said.

The properties to be purchased are about a block-anda-half east of the intersection of Arkansas Avenue and West Maple Street, along what is sometimes referred to sorority row.