Castle recommendation expected by end of Feb.

Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson will give President Hackney her recommendation about how the Castle should be used by the end of this month, Morrisson said yesterday. The VPUL said the recommendation will be based on proposals from the Committee to Diversify Locust Walk and letters she received from various community members and organizations. Morrisson said she is "aiming for" filling the Castle by this fall. The building, which is located at 36th Street and Locust Walk, is the former home of the Psi Upsilon fraternity. It has been vacant since last May when the fraternity was evicted and its charter revoked after the January 1990 kidnapping of a Delta Psi brother. Morrisson said she expects Hackney to make a final decision about the Castle "shortly." "[We are trying to create] an ideal residential community," Morrisson said. "I am trying to construct a concept consistent with the idea the committee has given me." The committee will hold open forums at noon Wednesday and at 5 p.m. Thursday in room 110 of the Annenberg School to hear more community opinion about diversifying the Walk as a whole. United Minorities Council Chairperson Nalini Samuel, who sits on the Walk committee, said yesterday that the committee discussed one idea for the Castle at its meeting yesterday, but would not say what this idea was. Samuel said it is not a concrete idea, but simply an outline. She also said the committee will continue to meet once a week for four or five more weeks. The UMC chair said the Castle will be used as a residence so Hackney must make his decision quickly, before students have chosen housing for next year. The Castle has been cleaned, but Morrisson said repairs have not been made and the costs for these repairs are unknown. She also said there is no furniture in the house. The items which were in the house were individually owned and are now in storage. Staff Writer Roxanne Patel contributed to this story.

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