Sigma Alpha Mu, more commonly known as Sammy, has acquired the property located at 747 Comstock Ave., the fraternity announced Friday.

Sammy will be located between the Alpha Epsilon Phi and Kappa Kappa Gamma sororities on Comstock. Acquiring the property, commonly referred to as the “Red House,” means Sammy will have a permanent home at Syracuse University for the first time since 1993, according to a Sammy press release.

“The desire to have our own home has been a driving force for our board for a number of years, so we could not be more excited to have acquired 747 Comstock,” said Etasam, Inc. President Jason Simon in the release. “For too many years we’ve been nomadic and in temporary situations with rentals. Having our footprint permanently on campus will enable us to do many things and continue to support our outstanding undergraduate men as they attend Syracuse.”

Etasam, Inc. is the alumni housing corporation for the fraternity.

The house will be named after Marshall Gelfand, a Class of 1950 SU alumnus, who is a member of the SU Board of Trustees.

“By being back on campus, our men will be able to get the value of living in a group setting and the experience of being part of the legacy of Sigma Alpha Mu,” said Wally Kebe, the current undergraduate president of Sammy.

The fraternity plans to completely renovate the inside of the property this year and will be holding rush at the property, according to the release.

Sammy was previously involved in a lawsuit it filed against Syracuse Association Zeta Psi, alleging that Zeta Psi violated the housing contract between the two fraternities. Sammy had rented Zeta Psi’s house, located at 727 Comstock Ave., since 2007, but was forced to move in 2013.

Published on August 28, 2015 at 11:20 am

Contact Justin: jmatting@syr.edu | @jmattingly306