Many West Virginia University students will again be living in off-campus University housing this fall under three lease agreements and one lease/purchase agreement approved Thursday (June 5) by the state Higher Education Policy Commission.
Meeting in South Charleston, commissioners OK’d WVU ’s lease purchase of the Madison House, a vacant nursing home located adjacent to the Health Sciences campus. The commission also approved lease agreements between the University and owners of Sterling University Ridge Apartments, Pierpont Apartments and Summit Suites.
“The Morgantown campus is currently experiencing a shortage of student housing due to increased enrollment,”said Amir Mohammadi, chief housing officer at WVU .”Current projections indicate a freshman class of nearly 5,100 which will result in a deficit of more than 1,450 beds. Our ability to use these facilities will offset that deficit.”
The lease/purchase agreement of the Madison is for five years with an ability to buy out at any time. If the buy out is not exercised during the term, WVU will have the option to take ownership or walk away at the conclusion of the lease term. The $4.3 million for the lease/purchase will be generated through student housing fees. The addition of the Madison will provide 211 beds, Mohammadi said.
The three-year lease agreements with Sterling Ridge, Pierpont and Summit will cost the University $11.5 million over the combined terms, and will also be generated from student housing fees. Use of the facilities will provide an additional 1,131 beds, he noted. All three have been used in the past by WVU .
Approval of the lease agreements by HEPC is contingent upon approval by the WVU Board of Governors at its Friday (June 6) meeting. The BOG approved the lease/purchase agreement regarding the Madison at its meeting April 4.
In other action Thursday, a $7 million renovation project at the WVU Coliseum and a $1.5 million upgrade of the University’s soccer facilities received approval. Both projects are part of a $24 million capital improvement plan submitted by the athletic department and approved by the commission in December.
The Coliseum project, scheduled for completion in Dec. 2004, calls for renovations to the men’s and women’s basketball locker rooms, physical education locker rooms, women’s volleyball locker rooms, coaches’locker rooms, strength and conditioning area, therapy and treatment area and equipment storage areas. The areas above the locker rooms on either side of the Coliseum are currently void areas that will be converted into Club space that will be a source of revenue to help fund and offset the costs of remodeling the lower level. Private fund-raising and sale of bonds also will be used to fund the renovations.
The soccer facilities upgrade calls for the construction of a 1,600 capacity stadium, ADA parking adjacent to the stadium, ADA seating not currently available, concessions and permanent ADA compliant restrooms. The existing soccer practice field will be relocated so that a multi-purpose field with a backstop can be built for use by physical education. The soccer renovations are scheduled to be completed by June 2004 and will be paid for by private fund raising, Club ticket sales and sale of bonds.
“We hope to take our construction documents to the street for bids around the first of August,”said Russ Sharpe, WVU associate athlete director.”Both of these projects will help us to draw quality personnel, improve recruitment and promote the continued growth and success of these programs.”
Approval of the athletic projects by the commission is also contingent upon approval by the WVU BOG at Friday’s meeting.
Commissioners voted to keep the same slate of officers for the coming year: Tom Jones, chairman; Mary Clare Eros, vice-chair; and Elliot Hicks, secretary.