Delta Tau Delta to renovate new house on South 39th St.

The fraternity's move to the house will be its third in three years, after a fire destroyed their old residence in 1994. The brothers of Delta Tau Delta fraternity are about to discover if there really is no place like home. After a series of relocations in the last few years -- from South 39th Street to 4033 Spruce Street to 3829 Walnut Street -- the DTD house will move to a more permanent location this fall. The new house is located at 130-32 S. 39th Street -- a couple doors down from the original DTD residence, which suffered damage after an alleged arson in 1994. After construction, the house will combine the two units and will feature a living room, library, dining room and a backyard complete with a terrace. Brothers said the fraternity has put hundreds of thousands of dollars into the renovations, paid for with extensive fund raising campaigns and loans. But since the University owns the building, DTD alumni and Penn officials will work with the fraternity members and the architect to control expenses and maintain an operating budget, Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Assistant Director Beth Schnitman said. OFSA administrators and DTD brothers hope to have the project completed by this May, and the house will be ready for 28 brothers to occupy in the fall. Workers have already begun demolishing the interior of the building. "It's going to be a great house," College sophomore and DTD Secretary Mike Hammer said. "It's the best thing that's happened to the fraternity since we were allowed back on campus." DTD recolonized at the University in 1991 after a 19-year absence. Three other fraternities currently dot South 39th Street -- Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Kappa Epsilon and Zeta Beta Tau. And with the addition of the DTD house, along with Sigma Delta Tau's house one block away and Delta Delta Delta's house around the corner, Schnitman said she believes the neighborhood will resemble those found around 4000 Walnut Street and 3900 Spruce Street -- two areas with a dense concentration of Greek residences. The proximity of Greek residences provides extra security as well as a chance for fraternity and sorority members to collaborate on projects. For example, there is current discussion about Greek participation in the "Adopt a Block" program, Schnitman said. She said Greek outreach to the community exemplifies the University's dedication to West Philadelphia. She praised the University for continuing to support student housing for all its students, not just those who reside in dormitories. DTD's house will be the 24th chapter house the University owns. The fraternity residence is indicative of what University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow envision residential life to be like in the 21st century, Schnitman said, comparing the Greek houses to the residential college options which are being considered for the University's future. College sophomore and Delta Tau Delta brother Mike Gold said he will most likely live in his fraternity's new house during his junior year. He said he thought, "It would be a really good opportunity for freshmen [who will be] pledging [this spring] to live in a brand new, state of the art facility" next year.