Tennessee State University is moving forward with plans to sell its property located near John. C. Tune Airport. An urgent need for student housing is driving the sale, university leaders say.
TSU doesn’t have enough beds for next year’s incoming freshmen. The university’s finance committee highlighted that the retention rate is up 10 points for first-year students during a meeting on Thursday. This, coupled with increased enrollment, has created a stain on the school’s resources.
‘A critical, immediate need’
April Robinson, TSU’s chief financial officer, hopes to remedy this by selling 35 acres of land to Metro Nashville Airport Authority for $15.5 million.
“This is not a future need,” she said. “This is a critical, immediate need in that we need to have a solution that provides an additional 300 beds for next fall.”
Robinson said about $6.6 million from the sale will go toward housing needs, including renovations to existing buildings, acquisitions and leases.
Dakasha Winton, TSU board of trustees member, questioned if this figure is enough to make the necessary changes — noting that some of the buildings in need of renovations are over 40 years old and will require extensive improvements.Others requested more specifics on how the money will be spent.
TSU’s plan to sell its property located near John C. Tune Airport has been in the works for months, with school leaders touting the move as a way to bring in more revenue.
The historically Black university has been plagued with financial troubles in recent years, including a scathing comptroller’s report in 2023 highlighting TSU’s failure to provide on-campus housing for hundreds of freshmen.
The school has made significant financial improvements within the last year. Those include decreasing its budget deficit by millions as part of a five-year turnaround plan.Selling this property is one of the school’s latest moves.
Tennessee Board of Regents’ role
The state of Tennessee owns the property but allows institutions like TSU to have jurisdiction over the land, according to Dick Tracy, the director of facilities development for the Tennessee Board of Regents.
This means that the State Building Commission had to approve the sale, which it did during a Sept. 21 meeting. Tracy negotiated the terms of the contract on behalf of TSU.
Ginnette Brown, TSU’s general counsel, explained the role that TBR will continue to play in the agreement.
“TBR would have the lease and then we would be protected under the sublease,” she said.
If the sale doesn’t go through, upperclassmen may not be allowed to stay on campus. That would make more room for freshmen. Another option is converting single dorm rooms to hold double beds.
TSU is still waiting for the state to send over the final agreement so the board of trustees can review the terms.
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