Moving the University: A Fight Over Land and Legacy
Legislators and local boosters draft a plan to relocate the University of Washington and untangle decades of messy land titles.
The committee appointed at Friday night's meeting at the Chamber of Commerce to draw a bill for the legislature providing for the transfer of the state university met yesterday afternoon. The measure, prepared by Captain P. B. Johnson, was amended in minor details and approved. The bill proposes a way to secure a new site, erect university buildings, and pay for them without permanently draining the state's general treasury. It also seeks to clarify the status of land grants to ensure future legislatures can act intelligently. The proposal includes creating a board to manage the transition, including the sale of the existing ten-acre 'University site' in Seattle and the selection of at least 108 acres within six miles of the King County courthouse for the new campus. To ensure transparency, the bill mandates that the ten-acre tract be appraised to prevent collusion and that all proceeds be placed in a separate 'university fund.'
“It is proposed by the bill to provide a way for securing a site, erecting university buildings and paying the cost without permanently taking money from the general treasury of the state.”
The 'University site' mentioned was the original downtown campus in what is now the Metropolitan Tract. The 1891 effort to move the university to a larger 108-acre site near Lake Washington eventually led to the current campus in the University District, showcasing early Seattle's obsession with land speculation and civic expansion.
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