The Ohio University Board of Trustees approved the $2 million purchase of a building at 4 University Terrace that used to serve as a fraternity house.
Though there are no concrete plans for the building, university officials and Board of Trustees members anticipate using the building for university housing when more bed space is needed, officials said Friday. The property, across from Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on University Terrace, could house about 36 beds, according to a Board of Trustees resolution.
“We have increased bed needs in the future, so it will roll right into that,” Deborah Shaffer, vice president for Finance and Administration, said. “The former purpose for us when we were leasing it was university housing.”
The property used to serve as the fraternity house for Delta Tau Delta before the fraternity was suspended for five years because of hazing incidents.
The fraternity was suspended for hazing pledges at an event in November 2009. One pledge said he was blindfolded, forced to drink large amounts of alcohol and repeatedly “slapped around,” according to a previous Post report.
Those pledging to the fraternity said they were told they would not get in if they refused to drink.
Two pledges were hospitalized with injuries at the time.
The university leased the property during that time, and the house went up for sale in 2011.
Athletes in Action, a Christian athletes' group, then took over the house later that year.
The property was previously leased by the university for student housing, Trustee Dave Scholl said.
Shaffer said the appraised value of the property was $2.3 million.
“That facility, not only on an appraisal basis, was appraised at a higher value than we were able to purchase it for and we also have a need for the beds, but it was also updated recently, so the facility has been updated extensively I would say,” Board Chair David Wolfort said.
John Wharton was the realtor managing the sale, and it is unclear if Ohio Realty, the company he works for, still manages the property.
Wharton, an OU alumnus and donor, was involved with the McDavises’ move to 31 Coventry Lane, which is still under investigation by the Ohio Inspector General. It was discovered that a “problematic” verbal agreement was made between Wharton and Director of Athletics Jim Schaus before the move to Coventry Lane.
