The sale agreement with UC Investments also includes the purchase of Water Dog Lake, which the city currently leases, with roughly 40 years remaining on its agreement.
In 2021, the university announced its plans to enter into an option-to-purchase agreement with the historic Catholic university, and it had been partnering with the city on developing a special zoning district to allow for a range of uses, including 50 to 200 housing units. But in February, Stanford announced it wouldn’t pursue its original development plans.
Only a couple days after the announcement, Beth Martin, president of NDNU, said she received a cold call from UC, expressing interest in the property. The property acquisition is part of the entity’s “centennial plan,” which aims to buy properties and hold them long term. While UC agreed to restore the historic Ralston Hall Mansion and Carriage House, redevelopment plans on the campus remain uncertain. The organization also agreed to keep the chapel and library, Martin said.
NDNU will still occupy the campus for up to five years after the sale before it transitions to a new location in the county. The university cites its shift toward graduate programs in 2021 — and a subsequent decrease in campus usage — as the impetus for selling the property.
“Eighty percent of our programs are now online so we need a very small footprint, and maintaining a campus this size doesn’t make sense,” Martin said. “We want to stay in San Mateo County and as close to Belmont as possible. Now we can very carefully examine where we need to be, what we need to have … so we have plenty of time to find the right spot.”
Mayor Julia Mates said the city only recently learned of discussions between NDNU and UC Investments, however, she said was looking forward to learning more about their plans and sharing more about the community.
“This is a very special property and is meaningful to the identity of our city. It precedes the establishment of the city, so it’s not just another piece of land,” Mates said. “I really look forward to communication and partnership with UC Investments and hearing more about their plans.”
Note to readers: The story has been updated to reflect that UC Investments entered that sales agreement with Notre Dame de Namur University.
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