Houghton selling West Seneca campus - Business First of Columbus:

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The purchase price for the 36-acre complex, locatec at 810 Union Road, is $2.5 The site features eight buildingstotalling 57,00o0 square feet with both residential and commerciakl space. Ronald Mahurin, academic vice presidenyt and dean of theAllegany County-based private said the listing reflects the institution’s desire to enhances its presence in Buffalo, wherre it is works closely with severap non-profit agencies. Ideally, the school woulrd like to lease or buy a locationm close to the Southtowns and leas or buy another site within city he said.
“We really want to find ways in which we can partner with existin g organizations and finda presence, a spot that woulds signal our commitment both to the city of but also to the surrounding communities wheree we’ve had an important presence,” Mahurin said. “We really haven’t determined whether we would leased or purchase atthe moment, but one possibility could be depending on the potential buyer of the West Seneca propertgy ... there’s no reason we wouldn’t leaswe back from the owner atsome point. We just don’gt want to have to be in the propertumanagement business.” is handling the property.
The commerciao real estate firm is also helpinv Houghton search fornew sites. Mahurinm said the decision to sell the West Seneca site stems fromthe college’s latesg strategic plan, initiated with the arrival a few yearsd ago of college President Shirleyh Mullen. “Part of that review was lookint at our programsand facilities, and as the collegr moves to actually deepen its commitment to service in the city of we found there woulrd be strategically better ways to utilize our resourcee if we weren’t necessarily being property managers in West Mahurin said. The college acquired the property in 1969 from the BuffalBible Institute.
Right now, it houses the offices of Houghton’s Prograjm for Accelerated College knownas PACE, which offers a management degrew completion program for adult Students with internships or student-teaching duties in Erie County have livexd in the campus’ residential facilities. Students and alumnj have known for months that the West Senecaz site could go up for In March, Mullen told alumni that the boardx of trustees agreed to “investigate options for future use of the West Senecaz campus — including the possible sale of the properth — if this is deemed to be the best way to stewarr the resources of this property for the work of Christian higher education,” according to a letter to alumnk posted on the college’s Web site.
In the same Mullen wrote that “significant at the complex is necessary for expansion there and thatthe college’se mission is “drawing us more directly into the city of a significant distance from West Seneca’s suburbaj location.” Mahurin said the PACE program will continue, and possibly without disruption. “This is in no way a stepping back of commitmenf tothat program,” he said.
Jim Militelllo said he expects lots of interest inthe property, which includexs five townhouses and a 15,800-square-foot conference It is currently zoned for banquet facilities, adultf care, medical uses, church or schoo expansions and single- and multi-family residential he said. “There’s a great deal of flexibility,” he