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Butler University this week said it plans to spend up to $6 million to build a new presidential residence adjacent to its campus.
The project, which would involve the demolition of a 94-year-old home at the northeast corner of Blue Ridge Road and Sunset Avenue, follows a $4 million donation made in 2022 earmarked for that use.
The school intends to complete the residence before late 2026, which coincides with the end of President James Danko’s current contract with the school. That contract does include multiple one-year renewal options.
Butler this week received preliminary approval from the city’s Metropolitan Development Commission to rezone the 0.32-acre site at 526 Blue Ridge Road from the D-5 single-family dwelling designation to UQ2, which allows for university uses. It also received approval for a request for a variance of development standards tied to setbacks for the new home from the lot’s property lines.
A representative for the school told the MDC the all-in cost of the new two-story, 6,500-square-foot house is expected to be $4 million to $6 million. Butler paid $725,000 to acquire the property from Dan and Joan Morris in October 2019 and plans to raze the existing four-bedroom, two-and-one-half bathroom home in the coming months.
“This is … a substantial investment for Butler,” Brian Tuohy, an attorney with Tuohy Bailey and Moore LLP who represents the university, said during Wednesday’s MDC meeting. “They believe this architectural style and design is consistent with some significant homes in the Butler Tarkington neighborhood, the Butler campus area and the Meridian Kessler area.”
The university in August 2022 received a $4 million gift from trustee Jay Love and his wife, Christie, to fund the construction, furnishing and maintenance of a new presidential residence, which would serve not only as a home for the school’s leader but as a venue for fundraising and community events.
Butler University leaders “believe this house will be of benefit to the neighborhood in the sense that it is an enormous capital investment in that site, and they believe it will be an attractive residence for the president of the university,” Tuohy said.
The lot that will house the residence, which will be known as the Jay and Christie Kile Love University House is one of several Butler has acquired in recent years. It is just across Blue Ridge Road from the current presidential residence. On the west side of Sunset is the 633-bed Fairview House dormitory, which predominantly houses sophomores.
Michael Lofton, senior director of community and government relations for Butler, told IBJ the university would like to use the new house in its efforts to woo a new president to the school when Danko, 70, decides to retire.
“We received a gift for an investment in the University House,” he said. “President Danko has been president going into his 13th year and understands this is a great time to pursue the construction of the University House to help aid in the recruitment of a new president when his time is completed at the institution.”
It has not yet been determined whether Danko would move into the house, if it is completed before he concludes his time with the university.
While the variance request was generally unopposed by the public—it would allow for the front door of the house to be along Sunset Avenue as well as a one-foot difference in rear-yard setback tied to preserving a large tree on the lot—the rezone request faced some scrutiny.
The variance was approved unanimously, 7-0, while the rezone request passed 5-2, with Alpha Blackburn and Megan Garver opposed.
Four nearby residents spoke in opposition to the school’s rezone request, with most expressing skepticism about the need to rezone the site at all, and raising concerns that giving it a UQ2 designation would allow for the structure to be used as a fraternity or sorority house, rather than a presidential residence.
According to staff with the city’s Department of Metropolitan Development, which offered a recommendation of approval for both the rezone and variance requests, Butler would have to return to the MDC to have the new home operate as anything other than the presidential residence designation they are seeking.
Some neighbors also said they would prefer to see Butler use the existing house, rather than demolish the property, because of the existing structure’s age and size (about 3,650 square feet), compared to the proposed new structure. Tuohy said a contributing factor to the decision to tear down the property is that the house experienced freezing pipes last winter, which proved difficult to repair and remediate.
“We have had over [15-plus] hours engaging Butler Tarkington neighbors on the University House since March 2023,” Lofton said. “Our duty as an anchor institution in Midtown Indianapolis is to ensure we keep strong communication with our neighbors; and our goal is to always do our part to increase the vitality of the neighborhoods surrounding Butler.”
The current home, which is encased in burnt-orange brick, would be replaced by a home with a property bearing a mix of red brick and white masonry. The maximum height of the house would be 32 feet. In 2023, a request to build a presidential residence at a maximum height of nearly 44 feet was denied by the MDC.
The rezone request must still be approved by Indianapolis City-County Council. Lofton said the university hopes to begin work on the project upon receiving council approval.
Indianapolis-based CSO Architects is the design firm on the project.
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Gaudy and unnecessary
Wasteful spending, by about $2-$3 million
Not your money. Gift designated by the Loves for this purpose.
Willing to spend $4-6 million on a new house, instead of re-plumbing the current house so the pipes don’t freeze? Obviously the plumbing problem is just an excuse.
On this episode of This Old House, what to do if your pipes freeze… Demolish the entire house and start over.
They have every right to seek the permission to do this, and were granted such rights. Weird to bat an eye at this but not the actually unnecessary spending on collegiate athletic facilities of teams too many worship.
They still call me monthly begging for donations…. they obviously do not need it.
That existing house sure doesn’t look 94 years old. Presumably it’s been worked over several times. It’s gonna cost $6 million to replace it? Get a better general contractor.
You can tell that the garage was a latter addition, so It had an extensive remodel in the recent past.
This is going to be a $1000/square foot!?! Unless the house has several sub-basement levels with a secret control room bunker, I don’t see how you could sink $6million on a building that size.
Obviously a University President’s house will be used for entertaining, events, guests and more, as well as family living. The appearance, materials, size and presence, all seem to fit the role, and compatible with both the campus and adjacent neighborhood structures. Seems like a good design and land use to me. Good job !