TROY – The restored 177-foot-tall white spire is a daily testament to the investment Phi Gamma Delta’s Tau Nu chapter made in converting the former First Baptist Church into a downtown fraternity house.

But the building is now vacant and sealed after the fraternity was suspended for violating Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s alcohol policy.

The fraternity, best known by its nickname “FIJI,” is one of six fraternities currently suspended by RPI and three currently on probation for violating the university’s alcohol policy. When a fraternity is suspended by RPI and loses recognition it generally results in the students having to move out of its house until the organization meets the standards for reinstatement.

“I’m working very closely with the dean of students to restore the house and resolve the problems. We’re looking forward to being part of the downtown Troy community,” said Keith Downes, president of the House Corporation of Phi Gamma Delta, the alumni organization that owns the building.

The church building at 82 Third St. is a landmark -- the steeple can seen from around the city. Erected in 1846, it replaced the original Baptist church on the site, attended by Samuel Wilson, the inspiration for Uncle Sam.

Over the last six years, the fraternity has worked to preserve and convert the church and its adjacent three-story school building into housing and meeting space. The chapter was suspended for two years after an incident last November when underage members admitted to drinking alcohol at a party held off-campus in an apartment, not in the fraternity house. The event was considered a fraternity-affiliated event due to the involvement of members.

Councilman Anasha Cummings, a RPI alumnus who represents downtown, said the church’s appearance has improved. He hopes the fraternity will be able to resume operations and work with its neighbors.

The fraternity has been listed as a vacant building since July by the city when the housing corporation notified it. The windows and glass doors have been covered to meet city code.

The suspension has been costly for FIJI. Downes said the emptying of the house after the spring 2019 semester has left the alumni corporation facing $200,000 in costs without the income stream from brothers living in the house.

The alumni and the national fraternity are working with RPI to ensure the fraternity returns to good graces in time for the fall 2020 semester. The chapter will be required to have a live-in adviser in order to have recognition restored by RPI. Even then, there will only be seven fraternity brothers still attending RPI who will be able to move back in.

RPI Dean of Students Travis T. Apgar said the FIJI brothers accepted responsibility for what happened. He said the alumni and national fraternity are committed to turning the situation around.

“Both the students involved and alumni have been very cooperative,” Apgar said.

Nick Johnson, chapter president and a senior, said the fraternity is looking forward to being recognized again. Johnson said the fraternity has no events and cannot meet due to the suspension, but the brothers remain friends.

“We don’t have any tolerance for serving alcohol to underage students,” Apgar said. The RPI policy that led to the suspensions for six fraternities and probation for three chapters. Two of the fraternities also were charged with having hazing incidents.

RPI supports its fraternities and sororities, which are not the typical landing ground for most of the school's students, Apgar said. The changes proposed by RPI such as not allowing rush until the spring of freshman year are similar to other universities and are designed to help prospective members learn about Greek life which demands a financial commitment, he said.

Apgar said RPI is very transparent about the judicial findings. RPI has posted the findings and penalties for the nine fraternities on its website RPI.edu under Greek life judicial conduct reports.

Alpha Chi Rho is on probation from March 23, 2018 to December 2022, for alcohol policy violation and failure to comply. Tau Epsilon Phi is on probation through December 2019 for a March 2019 failure to comply. Theta Xi is on probation until at least Jan. 2, 2020 for a January 2018 alcohol policy violation.

As well as Phi Gamma Delta, those suspended are: