Northern Michigan University purchased property for potential development on Dec. 19, 2011, which goes along with the university’s updated campus master plan.

The land is located at 1804 Tracey Ave., west of the Woodland Park apartments and east of Meyland Hall. NMU negotiated a sale price $130,000 for the house.

According to Art Gischia, associate provost for business operations, the house was owned by a private party and was rented out the past several years. The campus master plan was last updated in 2008.

The plan focuses on organizational strategies to manage future development which includes on-campus housing. One of the areas recognized for potential development includes the land along Tracy Avenue.

NMU will rent the house out until the property is needed. At that time NMU will assess their options to sell the house with intent of moving it or demolition, Gischia said.

“When property owners who border the campus alert the university that they are ready to sell, we do consider a purchase if the price is at fair market value so that we don’t have someone else buy property that NMU is interested in from a long-term master calendar perspective,” said Cindy Paavola, director of communications and marketing.

Northern owns several other pieces of property that are currently not being used. They own a single-family house on Shafer Street and land on Waldo Street. According to Gischia, NMU has owned this property for the past three years. There is also an apartment complex at 1716 Presque Isle Ave. that has been rented out over the past 15 years.