The university will lease a home on Coventry Lane for the president and his wife.
Ohio University secured a new home for President Roderick McDavis and his wife, Deborah, according to a university news release.
The home is located at 31 Coventry Lane, in a subdivision in Athens, 2.8 miles from Baker University Center.
The home and surrounding property will be leased by the university. The university could purchase the property, as outlined in the agreement, for $1.2 million, using "unrestricted working capital," according to the release.
A purchase would have to be approved by the university's Foundation Board of Trustees.
The house sits on 2.86 acres and occupies 4,586 square feet, including a finished basement. The house has four bedrooms and three bathrooms, according to the release.
The president's on-campus residence, 29 Park Place, will be, "undergoing assessment for both environmental remediation and necessary structural repairs," according to the release.
A document outlining information about the new residence also stated that a variety of factors, including construction to surrounding buildings to the Park Place home and "changes to the Park Place landscape" were reasons why university officials said it "did not seem appropriate that the presidential residence be located on Park Place."
“The decision by the foundation to pursue a lease-to-buy agreement is not about the current president but about the recruitment of future presidents," said David Brightbill, Board of Trustees chairman in the release. "The bat incursion has merely accelerated a decision-making process that was already underway. By freeing up a centrally-located facility for academic or student support usage, 29 Park Place will better serve the objectives of our Campus Master Planning process.”
The McDavises vacated the Park Place property after a bat startled Deborah and caused her to slip on the stairs and break her foot. The couple has stayed at the OU Inn since March 11, according to a previous Post report.
During the past 11 years, bats have been found in the home 16 times, according to a previous Post report. The university pays for the McDavises’ utility and phone expenses at the Park Place property with a $125,208 budget.
The university will also pay for the McDavises' hotel stay. A night at the inn averages $139.95 plus tax per night.
—Megan Henry contributed to this report.
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