UL receives appraisal on 600-acre farm near Cade. Here’s what it’s worth.
Wildflowers grow in a field near the Wildflower Seed Bank, seen in the background, at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Experimental Farm Tuesday, June 12, 2018, in St. Martinville, La.
- Advocate staff photo by LESLIE WESTBROOK
Project Manager Mark Simon pours a scoop of plant matter into a seed screening machine, which separates various sizes and grades of seeds, as visitors look on during the opening of the Wildflower Seed Bank at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Experimental Farm Tuesday, June 12, 2018, in St. Martinville, La.
- Advocate staff photo by LESLIE WESTBROOK
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette received an appraisal this week on its 600-acre experimental research farm in St. Martin Parish as the school’s new president continues to try to sell off properties in the hopes of closing a budget deficit.
The property, at 1178 W.J. Bernard Drive near Cade, is worth about $3.5 million, according to an appraisal The Acadiana Advocate received through a public records request. The property is part of the Teche Ridge, a “relatively rare terrain landscape for the area” that is characterized by hilly or rolling land, wrote J. Allen Angers Jr. in his appraisal.
The location and its frontage to W.J. Bernard and Lady of the Lake roads, along with the “appealing and somewhat rare” physical features of the property, could make for a golf course or other recreational site, the appraisal said. But it is more likely the property would be used for residential homes if sold.
“In summary, the most productive use of the site would be for the development of some type of residential subdivision or farm/ranch homesites or continued use as agricultural property until demand and growth in the area can justify development,” the appraisal said.
The property includes several buildings and facilities that have been used by the university for dairy cattle breeding and production, seed production, research labs, horse barns and more. The land has areas dedicated to pastures, agriculture and wetlands.
Jennifer Brown, vice president of the Louisiana Beekeepers Association, right, and her daughter MacKenzie Stafford look at a wildflower-harvesting graphic on display during the opening of the Wildflower Seed Bank at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Experimental Farm Tuesday, June 12, 2018, in St. Martinville, La.
Advocate staff photo by LESLIE WESTBROOK
UL President Ramesh Kolluru wrote in a Feb. 3 letter to UL System President Rick Gallot that “it is in the best interest of the university to sell” the Cade research farm along with three other properties and “utilize the proceeds toward the university’s operating budget.”
During presidential interviews last month, Kolluru said that the university has reduced its $50 million total deficit — $25 million of which represented a recurring structural deficit — to about $12 million and he expects to end the fiscal year without a deficit. Instead of turning to more budget and staff cuts, Kolluru said he will focus on revenue generation through property sales and a fundraising campaign to close the remaining gap by the end of June.
While Kolluru was still interim president, his request to advertise and auction the property received unanimous approval during a Feb. 26 meeting of the UL system board. He was approved by the board as the school’s new president the next day.
To sell the Cade research farm and other properties, the university must also get permission from the state Legislature before publicizing the sale and conducting a public auction. The appraised value would establish the minimum bid.
UL graduate student Maddy Moore started a petition at change.org in an effort to discourage decision-makers from selling the university’s research farm and ecology center near Carencro, which was appraised earlier this year for $2.1 million and has also been approved by the board to sell. The petition has received more than 1,800 signatures in about two weeks.
Wildflowers grow outside the Wildflower Seed Bank at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Experimental Farm Tuesday, June 12, 2018, in St. Martinville, La.
Advocate staff photo by LESLIE WESTBROOK
Moore, a master’s student studying environmental resource science and a graduate of the university’s environmental science program, called both properties “essential learning spaces.”
“Selling these locations would weaken the quality of education and research at UL Lafayette,” Moore wrote. “These spaces support student learning and faculty research. They are part of what makes our environmental programs strong and distinctive.”
UL spokesperson Eric Maron said on Friday that the university has yet to decide what to do with the Cade research farm.
“No decision has been made,” Maron said in a written statement. “The appraisal is part of the process. We will continue to evaluate all options, taking into careful consideration our current challenges and our academic and research mission.”
