West Virginia University Foundation President& CEO F . Duke Perry announced Tuesday (Aug. 7) that the W.Va. Route 705 property is again for sale.

The property, donated to the Foundation by the late Sylvia Straight to fund scholarships for West Virginia high school students, has been under contract to Wal-Mart since January 2000. Wal-Mart notified the Foundation on Aug. 3 that it would no longer pursue purchase under its contractual option given the denial of road access rights to W.Va. Route 705 by the West Virginia Division of Highways.

Notice of the sale of the entire 45-acre tract will again be advertised in state and local media outlets. Specific individuals and groups who had previously indicated an interest in the property will be notified. The Foundation will also notify the City of Morgantown and the Monongalia County Commission of the availability of the property.

The Foundation will begin the evaluation of offers on Oct. 1 and will continue to accept offers until such time as the property is under contract. This will provide interested parties time to explore opportunities for its use. Consistent with the Foundations fiduciary responsibility, any accepted offer must provide funds commensurate with the propertys fair market value.

Perry also stated,”Contrary to prior public statements made by those opposed to the sale of the property, the Foundation has met, and will continue to meet, all of its obligations to the donor as well as all commitments made to interested parties. To say the Foundation has been less than forthright in any way during this process is simply not true.”