Rider lists West Long Drive property for sale
By Kaitlyn McCormick
Once used as a residence for the Dean of Students, the single-family home at 3 West Long Drive was for sale this summer by the university in an attempt to bring in some much-needed funds.
The house, which the university has owned for a little over a decade, has become an unneeded asset, and the online listing shows its $675,000 sticker price as a 69.2% increase from its $399,000 purchase in 2011.
The house’s history
The home was used for former Dean of Students Anthony Campbell and his family in 2011 until his retirement in 2016.
Since then, the space has been used for temporary housing and even meeting spaces, according to Associate Vice President for University Marketing and Communications Kristine Brown.
“With the housing market being what it is and Lawrenceville being a desirable place to live … the university thought it would be a good idea to sell the property,” Brown said.
Dean of Students Christine Mehlhorn explained that while it made sense for Campbell to reside in the West Long Drive home during his tenure, it wasn’t the best option for the dynamic of the university’s current three crisis case workers: herself, Dean of Residence Life Roberta Butler and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Nick Barbati.
Mehlhorn said that while the house was never really offered to her as an option, she didn’t seek it out either.
“We really do split [the responsibility] up equally, so it wouldn’t make sense for any one of us to be the on-site person,” she said.
Campbell, who many referred to as Tony, liked to be in close proximity to the school, and, while the dynamic now is different and has more “layers” in place for crisis management, Mehlhorn explained that that wasn’t the case with Campbell.
“Everything called up to him no matter what,” she said, explaining why it was fitting for Campbell to live so close to the university. “He still wanted the call.”
Inside the listing
The property, listed before the start of the fall semester, has not sold yet but has gotten some traction from potential buyers.
It boasts four beds and two and a half baths across 2,517 square feet and sits on 1.1 acres of land.
The home also offers two interior fireplaces, an attached garage and a large backyard area.
As of Sept. 26, the Zillow listing had already accumulated almost 1,900 views and 84 saves.
