The brand new Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house at the University of Kansas has been completed and members began moving in Aug. 15.
Getting to this point wasn’t easy — a long 10 years has gone by since the chapter returned to KU in 2008. Their goal since then has been to be a house fraternity. Now it has finally come to fruition.
“ZBT had a house back before the 1990s when we left campus and just to be able to come back after all these years is awesome,” said senior Jacob Milgrim, former president of the fraternity.
Construction began on the house in late October 2017 after a long period of time getting the architect, the engineers and the city permits. Milgrim said one of the problems was that the homeowners association was concerned about parking, the added traffic and the way the street would be laid out.
ZBT has a 10-year lease on the house at 1503 Sigma Nu Place with the developer, who also built another frat house next door, Pi Kappa Phi. Milgrim estimated the total cost to be around $2.5 million.
Of the 80 to 90 members, 40 will be moving into the house in addition to an adviser.
Milgrim said many alumni have been in contact with current members and are anxious to become involved with the chapter once again.
“Because from 2008 to now being unhoused meant a smaller presence and so for them to find out that we’re going to have a house definitely brings a lot more people together. It’s going to be a really exciting year,” he said.
For the last 10 years, ZBT members lived together by classes — sophomores, juniors, seniors. Events were held at various houses. Milgrim said having a central location where all the fraternity members can gather for dinner and events and even invite their friends is important because they will be together in the house doing the same things.
“It’s going to be huge because there’s never really been a great spot that’s big enough for [all the fraternity brothers] plus friends to hang out,” he said “Definitely one of the things I’m most excited about is the ability to spend more time with people of different ages. We’re going to have a spot that’s big enough and has the functionality to allow every single member of the house to be together.”
Another aspect of being an unhoused chapter is you have to work hard to build strong connections between the fraternity brothers because they’re not all living together Milgrim pointed out.
“I’ve found that we’re really proud we did a good job over the past 10 years and so now to add the house component in there is just going to catapult us light years forward,” he said. “We already have a really good base and we now have this house. It’s just going to be exciting to see what we can do this year.”
Milgrim said KU has a great Jewish community. So adding a Jewish fraternity to the Sigma Delta Tau sorority, which moved into its house a year ago, builds up the already strong Jewish presence on campus.
“I think it’s a really important addition. I know national ZBT is excited. They’ve always liked the community in Kansas and for them to have a house chapter is important for the fraternity nationally as well,” he said.