DRC..NT Board approves property purchases

[OldTimer]

UNT regents pursue property acquisitions

11/22/2002

By Matthew Zabel / Staff Writer

FORT WORTH ? University of North Texas officials will begin the process of buying seven properties to help the university address its housing and parking shortages.

On Thursday, the UNT Board of Regents? facilities committee gave its approval for officials to move forward with negotiations on the properties, most of them on the campus? western edge.

The full Board of Regents, at its regular quarterly meeting Friday at the UNT Health Science Center, is expected to discuss and consider purchase of those seven plus one other property on South Bonnie Brae Street, after a presentation in executive session.

The committee gave its approval for UNT to negotiate and buy four properties along the north side of West Prairie Street between North Texas Boulevard and Avenue F where university officials would like to build a dormitory with space for about 400 students.

Several small businesses, including a gas station and convenience store, tattoo parlor, television store, storage facility, a barbershop and a used-car dealership, are located on those properties. These buildings would be torn down.

A four-unit apartment complex is also among the properties UNT wants to buy. Dr. Richard Rafes, UNT?s interim vice president of administrative affairs, told the committee UNT and the owners have agreed to a price of $115,000 for that property.

UNT President Dr. Norval Pohl said after the meeting that UNT?s housing department turned away an estimated 1,500 students who inquired about housing for the current semester, and about 500 of those students were freshmen.

UNT dorms can accommodate about 4,500 students. Dr. Pohl said that because of UNT?s housing shortage, officials have had to make many exceptions to its policy that requires freshmen to live on campus or with a relative.

"We don?t mind that, but a lot of parents say, ?Wait a minute. We don?t want our son or daughter living off campus,?" Dr. Pohl said.

Coupled with the 350-bed dorm expected to open in fall 2003 on the southwest corner of North Texas Boulevard and West Prairie Street, a 400-bed dorm across the street would help a great deal to solve that problem, he said. That dorm, if UNT officials go forward with it, probably would open in fall 2004, he said.

Another piece of property UNT regents are considering is Eagle Ridge Apartments, a complex on the southwest corner of North Texas Boulevard and West Hickory Street.

Dr. Rafes told the facilities committee that the apartment complex?s owner has agreed to sell the property to UNT for $900,000. Eight units of that 56-unit complex sustained fire damage in July.

"The owner came to us at that time and wanted to know if we were interested in buying it before he fixed it up," Dr. Rafes told the board. "If he would have gone ahead and fixed it up, it would cost us a whole lot more."

Dr. Pohl said that property is next to the construction site for a new science building at Hickory and Avenue C, and that the area could be designated for construction supplies and a construction headquarters. Or, that area could serve as a parking area.

UNT?s board also will consider allowing UNT to buy the Sierra Apartments on Maple Street. This property is surrounded by university property, and if UNT buys it, it will be demolished to allow UNT to build a walking path from the Gateway Center, at the corner of North Texas Boulevard and Eagle Drive, to the campus?s center.

A fourth area UNT officials want to buy is a 10- to 12-acre tract north of Liberty Christian School, which UNT agreed to buy earlier this year to use for athletics. UNT officials now want the additional area, on Bonnie Brae, for remote parking, Dr. Rafes told the board. Dr. Rafes asked the facilities committee to not vote on this item until after he could make a presentation to the full board in executive session on Friday.

If UNT buys this property and develops remote parking on it, the university would expand its campus shuttle bus service to there, he said.

As a state agency, UNT could exercise eminent domain to acquire property if they can?t reach an agreement with the property owners, or if property owners refuse to sell.

"We have talked about that a couple of times, but we hope we don?t have to use that," Dr. Pohl said.

MATTHEW ZABEL can be reached at 940-381-9664.