WOODLAWN — Two fraternity brothers are moving their foundation into a long-vacant Chicago Public Schools building in Woodlawn.
Two Omega Psi Phi fraternity brothers have bought the former Dumas Child Parent Center, a squat one-story building backed up against the Metra tracks at 6615 S. Kenwood Ave. between a vacant lot and a brick three-flat.
CPS in the coming days is finalizing the $30,000 sale to Courtney Pogue, deputy director of economic development for Cook County, who is buying the building on behalf of the Sigma Omega Foundation, a nonprofit run by Hyde Parker Torin Edmond, a senior manager at Level-1 Global Solutions.
The former resource center, which closed in 2010, is not destined to be a party pad though.
"We're really looking to be an anchor in the community," Edmond said.
The Sigma Omega Foundation said it would use the building for mentoring and social outreach activities, such as scholarship fundraisers, voter education and registration, health initiatives and education, legal and small-business education seminars and community meetings, said Michael Passman, a spokesman for CPS.
Edmond said the foundation is not officially tied to the fraternity, but they share many members and a commitment to community service.
He said how the foundation uses the building will be figured out after the former resource center is cleaned and brought up to snuff.
"There's a lot of work that needs to be done — it's been abandoned," Edmond said.
The Chicago Board of Education approved the sale in January and the Public Building Commission, which holds the title to the building on behalf of CPS, approved the sale at its April 14 meeting.
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