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Board approves conveyance of underused Ohio University facility to Educational Service Center
Summary
The State Controlling Board approved transfer of an underused Eastern Campus facility from Ohio University to a regional Educational Service Center after university officials said enrollment and athletics declined and legal counsel confirmed the proposed educational use meets deed restrictions.
The State Controlling Board on Dec. 1 approved a conveyance of a university facility on Ohio University's Eastern Campus to an Educational Service Center (ESC).
Representative Stewart asked why a facility that appears "very, very" high-quality and previously used for athletics was declared underutilized and made available for transfer. Jim Kaufman, director of real estate for Ohio University, told the board that a 2023 review identified surplus buildings after regional campuses stopped offering athletic programs and that enrollment at the Eastern Campus has not rebounded to pre-COVID levels.
Kaufman said the university performed an internal process to identify surplus space and went through legal review and a bidding process; the winning offer was evaluated for compliance with a deed restriction that requires educational use. Kaufman and university counsel told the board the proposed use by the ESC meets the educational-use restriction.
Senator Ingram expressed concern that an ESC acquiring the facility could compete with local school districts if the space were repurposed for athletics or other revenue-generating activities. Kaufman and subsequent witnesses said the ESC's stated plans include services such as clinics, technical assistance, fiscal services and professional development to support roughly 21 school districts in the region, and that the ESC would not be used primarily as a sports facility.
After questions from board members about use, deed restrictions and the bid process, President Schueller accepted no objection and the item was approved.
Next steps: the university will proceed with conveyance under the terms described to the board; the ESC's plans for programming and any facility rentals are subject to local agreements and the deed restriction requiring educational use.
