The University of Georgia recently announced that it plans to sell the nearly 170-year-old President’s House, the university head’s official residence since 1949. But to whom, and for what?
“I’m sure they have a buyer in mind,” Athens-Clarke County Commissioner Melissa Link said. “They [the Board of Regents] don’t do something like that without someone waiting in the wings.”
The nearly 5-acre parcel, valued by ACC tax assessors at more than $5 million, is prime real estate, similar to the former St. Joseph’s Catholic Church a few blocks down Prince Avenue, most of which was razed for a mixed-use development, or The Varsity property at Broad Street and Milledge Avenue, which is slated to become another mixed-use development, although that project appears to be on hold. The President’s House is on the National Register of Historic Places, but that federal designation offers no protection, and it is not in a local historic district.
However, the property is currently zoned “government,” so whoever buys it will have to go through the ACC Mayor and Commission for a rezoning, meaning there will be opportunities for public input, and ultimately commissioners will decide whether any proposal passes muster. Boulevard—a neighborhood with a long track record of guarding against encroaching development—will be heavily involved in the process when the time comes, Link said. Appropriate development could include unobtrusive housing on the land behind the house itself, she said.
“The fact that it has to go through the planning commission and the mayor and commission is an opportunity to guide that development,” Link said. “I’m not losing my mind yet.”
The preservation group Historic Athens issued a statement Friday calling on UGA to place an easement on the property to protect the President’s House: “We commend UGA for preserving this landmark and its history. Nevertheless, we are saddened by the decision to sell the President’s House. However, there’s an opportunity to secure its preservation as it enters a new chapter.
“As advocates for preservation, we urge UGA to consider placing a preservation easement on the President’s House before the sale. Preservation easements ensure perpetual protection for historically significant properties. By donating an easement, UGA can safeguard the President’s House and preserve its historical character for future generations. A preservation easement would also demonstrate UGA’s dedication to preserving this historic treasure and may offer potential federal income tax deductions.
“Historic Athens is committed to working with UGA and all stakeholders to ensure the best outcome for the President’s House. We will closely monitor the process and advocate for a solution that honors its historical and architectural importance while supporting UGA’s mission and student success initiatives.”
When asked whether UGA would be open to placing restrictions on the sale or future development, a university spokesperson declined to comment and directed questions to the University System of Georgia. USG spokesperson Kristina Torres was noncommittal. “No longer having to provide maintenance, security and support for the property will allow that money to be better spent on other campus needs,” she said. “There is no identified buyer. We intend to publicly market the property, and the sale would be subject to Board of Regents policy 9.8.2.1 – Sale of Property.”
That policy states that the USG chancellor can dispose of any property worth less than $1 million without permission from the Board of Regents, and that any property worth more than $1 million requires two or more appraisals.
UGA announced July 20 that it would sell the 9,000-square-foot President’s House, citing maintenance expenses. The university said it received a $2 million estimate earlier this year to replace the HVAC system and make other repairs. The house is both UGA President Jere Morehead’s private residence and a space to host events, but the addition of bike lanes on Prince Avenue now prevents shuttle buses from parking out front, according to a university press release.
UGA said it “plans to dedicate any and all proceeds from the sale of the property to support student success initiatives at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels,” and that it will “redirect all savings realized by no longer having to operate, maintain and provide security for the residence to ongoing efforts to enhance campus safety and security.”
While predecessor Michael Adams was sometimes criticized for living in a Lake Oconee gated community, Morehead committed to living in the President’s House when he was appointed in 2013.
Morehead bought a house on West Lake Place in 2020 for $755,000, according to tax records. That purchase was an investment and intended to be his eventual home, and now Morehead is “preparing it to serve as his residence,” UGA spokesperson Rod Guajardo told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Spurred by both the President’s House and the Taylor-Grady House—where ACC is having trouble finding a new tenant after the Junior League of Athens declined to pay higher rent—Historic Athens also called for the creation of a Prince Avenue historic district. Cobbham and Boulevard, the residential neighborhoods on either side of the corridor, are historic districts, but their protection doesn’t extend to the largely commercial businesses directly along Prince. It’s not a new idea—a 2012 Prince Avenue corridor study pondered the idea of a historic district along the street, as well as designating the President’s House a local landmark.
“This district would protect and celebrate the architectural and cultural heritage of this historic avenue,” Historic Athens said. “We firmly believe that a Prince Avenue Historic District would protect the President’s House and celebrate our community’s heritage while embracing progress.”The Greek Revival mansion was built by John T. Grant, an Athens native and railroad executive, in 1856 and is “a veritable museum piece,” according to its National Register nomination. The USG bought the house in 1949 with funds donated for that purpose.
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