President Roderick McDavis listed four homes to live in, but the university chose 31 Coventry Lane instead, which had a higher property value.
Ohio University officials chose to lease 31 Coventry Lane over cheaper properties President Roderick McDavis suggested to pursue, according to emails received in a public records request.
McDavis proposed four Athens homes he found while searching the Athens County Board of Realtors’ Multiple Listing Service, according to an email McDavis sent March 14 to Donna Goss, OU’s director of engagement and real estate management.
All properties are valued for less than $500,000.
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The property at 31 Coventry Lane would have cost $1.2 million to purchase, but is valued at $581,690.
It is unclear when the Coventry Lane home became an option for the president’s residence.
On Monday, Vice President for Finance and Administration Stephen Golding announced he would not ask OU’s Board of Trustees or the OU Foundation to purchase 31 Coventry Lane for the president’s home, according to a previous Post report.
Golding made the decision after learning the home’s owner, John Wharton, a long-time donor to OU and a local real estate broker, verbally agreed to continue donations to Ohio Athletics once the lease settlement on his Coventry home was signed.
McDavis listed the four homes in order of preference in the March 14 email, noting they all had a master suite on the main level.
Bethany Venable, an OU spokeswoman, said the university’s real estate management department searched for a single-level residence to accommodate Deborah McDavis, who is recovering from surgery for a broken foot.
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After more than 10 years, the McDavises moved out of their 29 Park Place home after a bat infestation caused Deborah to sustain her injury.
“The residence at 31 Coventry Lane was available for immediate occupancy and presented the best option given these parameters,” Venable said.
The OU Foundation also paid $75,000 to furnish the home at 31 Coventry Lane.
After Golding’s decision to not recommend the home for purchase, the OU Foundation will be reimbursed for that furniture expense. Venable didn’t immediately respond late Wednesday evening as to who exactly would be footing that bill.
“The university will work with the Foundation in the next several weeks to determine when is the appropriate time to reimburse them for the purchase of the furniture,” she said.
Email records also indicate that university officials became aware of rumors that Wharton agreed to donate to Ohio Athletics.
“I understand a rumor is being circulated that Athletics will be receiving a gift of $125,000 from the Whartons as a result of our lease/purchase agreement with them,” Goss said in a March 20 email to Venable and Jennifer Kirksey, McDavis’ chief of staff, which Golding was copied on. “I wanted to make you aware of the rumor and give you the opportunity to squash it as quickly as possible. There is no such agreement in place.”
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Golding said he first heard of the Wharton rumor March 22.
That rumor was later confirmed March 26 when OU Foundation CEO and President Bryan Benchoff gave Golding a donor contact report with Wharton’s conversations about donations.
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