University of South Carolina Libraries
.... ^ N>'-- ' ' >4. . . s h Carolina's Best Colloya Nowspapt, F Cl ' j Volume LXX, No. "79, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. April 2 <4, 1981 \ " -v. *. ' \ r .' 1 , . ' * I : .-V . . *' - ; I . V A Purchased a decade ago, the Wheelt poration is now selling resident!* Greeks By John Vaughan Staff In the early 1970s officials of USC's land purcnase organization met with representatives of several campus fraternities and sororities in hopes of selling the Greeks some land near campus. The land Carolina Research and Development Corp. wanted to sell the Greeks was part of the Wheeler Hill residential area the corooration had nur chased in the 1960s and early '70s. The land was never used for university purposes as USC expansion slowed by the mid-706. As a result, Carolina R&D considered several options, including using the land for construction of fraternity houses, subsidized housing and a high school. While the fraternity option would have keDt the land universitv-wipnfoH a Pomiino R&D official said the Greeks couldn't pay the price. l|i _ - > Sen. Mike Montgomery f: e*W6tB tr Hill area of Columbia (above) was at on 1/ lots in the area. (Photo by Jose > couldi * "EARLY ON, in 1973 or 1974, we sat down in several meetings with fraternities and sororities and with their national representation. Several were interested, but it was quickly determined what kind of money they didn't have," said Douglas I. Fitzgerald, Carolina R&D secretarytreasurer. In 1974, several residents formed a Wheeler Hill community group and began working with Carolina R&D to find an acceptable solution for the future of the property. The group wanted to upgrade the area, making it a mnHpl iuki0hhnphnnH with residents of different races and income brackets. Then? m 1976, Carolina R&D and the city of Columbia formed a mutual venture to develop Wheeler Hill, The city commissioned Kyu Sung Woo, an urban planner from Cambridge, Mass., to design the new Wheeler Hill neighborhood. I amen By JUI He Copy Das After lengthy debate, Stude amended and passed by a 20-5 n student organizations. Finance Committee Chairmt the bill on behalf of his comir arirlifinnnI nr>ru>olo K?? namaAOAnf Huuiuviiai uppvuio ujr rc]/t cqcih Sen. Lee Cleveland, a Financ an unsuccessful motion to table until the senate's next meeting i Cleveland said he wanted a prepare amendments. "I don't amendments/' he said. Cleveland suggested that sen; anu see wnere u?e n nance However, his motion was voted The senate approved an am Mike Montgomery giving those Were cut in the appeals process funding. "V FALL FUNDS are allocated more than $23,000 fall cont*ng< any money not spent by organi year. i0 time a possible site for USC Greek ho Panganiban) ft affni *r Woo was given a $12,000 grant from the city, along with suggestions from concerned residents. ONE PLAN was to build 40 to 50 rentassisted apartments on Wheeler Hill to allow long-time residents to remain. Wheeler Hill was once a heavily populated black neighborhood with a low-to-moderate income level. But Carolina R&D opposed a large amount of public housing, and now the number of such rent-assisted apartments has been reduced to 16. A bid to build that housing has been extended to tlie regional office of the U.S. Department of Housing I t ' A ana uroan idevelopment. Carolina R&&D has completed one phase of its developement of the Hill area, and the land is now divided into lots ranging in size from 40 feet by 80 feet to 60 feet by 100 feet. The lots priced from $20,000 to $30,000, are being offered to the public with a one per customer limit. As the May 8 purchase :nt Spnat ded bud< US incock x k chief Twenty-fives roll-call vote c nt Senate Wednesday night counted presen largin the budget for licensed Hardin said! in Michael Hardin submitted propriate." He rittee after the senate heard suffer cuts throi atives of five organizations. However, Ha ? Committee member, made priority order, i discussion on the budget bill sideration doesr \pril 29. i week to study the bill and to HE SAID Uk want to make any off-the-cuff funding process Government) c< a tors4 'take the old budget out the committee t Committee made changes." In other busin down. to increase the endment introduced by Sen. no more than $1! organizations whose budgets The senate v< "first consideration" for fall until next week Committee for s Hardin said t from Student Government's the budget bill, ;ncy fund, to which is added consideration c izations in the previous fiscal more money equitable," he s n riHli using. (JSC's land purchase corrd land deadline approaches, Fitzgerald says over 100 potential buyers have expressed interest. A NAGGING complaint about the development is the cost of the lots. Buying a lot and construction of a home is expected to acost at least $70,000? outside the means of most former residents of the Hill, who had hoped the cost would be about half of what it is. ?:J 41? * ? r lugci utu ?aiu un; properiy is expensive because the city wants to regain about $600,000 in federal revenue sliaring money used to develope the Hill and because Carolina R&&D doesn't want to lose money in the deal. "Our investment in Phase 1 of the redevelopment was about Si 7 million ' Fitzgerald said. He said he did not have final figures on the cost of Phase II of the plan, which involves developing another section of the Hill. e passes riof 1^1111 Ulil ;enators voted after Montgomery moved for a >n the amended bill, but 37 senators were t at the meeting's outset. le thought thenmendmenl > i,ebill was'ap saia, i teei those organizations that did ugh the appeals process do deserve priority." rdin said, "In consideration, there is no Just because they're getting first conrt mean they're getting first priority ." ? committee has not decided yet on a fall i. "We have some flexibility. The (Student xJe says first come, first serve. But it's up to o decide what first come, first serve means." tess, Student Senate heard Hardin's proposal student activity fee by "no less than $10 and 5." 3ted to suspend discussion on the resolution 's meeting and sent the proposal to the Rules itudy. hat while he was pleased with the passing of he was "concerned "about the delay in senate \f thfi fn" tL ' ~*v uvunijr iw mvicaac. 11 utere were to allocate, the system would be more ;aid.