Stanford looks to expand onto campus of nearby Catholic university
Stanford is buying up to 1.3 million square feet of campus property on the University of Notre Dame’s side of campus to expand into the area, increasing its student population by about 1,000.
Stanford will purchase the University of Notre Dame’s central campus along with a part of its north campus, allowing it to continue to provide educational resources to students with Notre Dame, and a part of South Campus, home to its Southwest Research Park.
But the deal could prove a problem for Notre Dame, which has been grappling with a lawsuit by a former employee and a federal class-action lawsuit from students alleging that the university engaged in age discrimination in its hiring practices.
The university is also grappling with a separate class-action lawsuit by students claiming that the university violated their constitutional rights by misclassifying them as non-members of the University of Notre Dame despite their high education levels.
The university will make a $250 million profit, according to the announcement last week.
The deal, brokered by law firm Steptoe & Johnson, is contingent on Notre Dame’s approval. It is said to be the largest real estate purchase in the history of the university.
“Our goal is to bring educational resources to a global community that will help them be successful,” says Eric Hark, general counsel for the university. “Our students and our faculty are integral to the excellence of our Notre Dame experience, and the acquisition of this space on our east side will bring more people through the gates.”
The purchase is part of an effort to bolster the University of Notre Dame in areas like biomedical research, cyber education and digital innovation.
“This brings us closer to our commitment to bring the world’s most advanced research universities to the world and ultimately help them to become stronger and more competitive globally,” says Hark, who will assume the role as president and CEO.
The university has been on a building
