Controlling Board clears University of Cincinnati parcel purchase to 'square off' campus

The State Controlling Board approved the University of Cincinnati’s request to purchase a small parcel of land adjacent to its Clifton campus, university officials told the board.

Megan Smith, speaking for the university, said the parcel would "square off a large parcel" directly across from the university and be incorporated into the institution’s master plan for potential student-facing uses. "Things that have been tossed around are basically all student facing items such as potential classroom, maybe, cafeteria, mixed use, a welcoming center, dormitory," Smith said.

Board members asked about location and purpose. Smith said the lot sits at the corner of Martin Luther King and is immediately across from the new Clifton Court Hall and near the DAP Center and Perbasco Hall. "So it's right across the street from our DAP and our new Clifton Court Hall facility," she said. Senator Ingram, whose district includes the site, said she supported the purchase provided the university prioritizes student housing over sprawl and affirmed the stated purpose: "My concern is making sure that it's the student housing and we're not… it's not just sprawl," she said.

With no objections raised, the board approved item 24.

The university said the parcel is intended to be part of long-range campus planning; no purchase price, closing timeline or additional approvals were disclosed in the board discussion.