YOUR TURN | Finis St. John: Purchase of Bryce property is transformative

In a recent column, “The Port Rail: How to spend $4.4 million on a good cause,” Larry Clayton expressed opinions about the restoration of the superintendent’s house on the Peter Bryce Campus property.

We appreciate this opportunity to respectfully clarify information and provide an accurate account of this important acquisition for our community, the university, and the state of Alabama. By every measure, it was transformative in setting the future course of the University of Alabama.

After many years of effort, in 2010, during Robert Witt’s tenure as president, the University of Alabama System successfully negotiated the purchase of the 168-acre Bryce property in the heart of UA’s campus.

The complex purchase and subsequent contractual agreements required the board of trustees to preserve and restore components of the historic Bryce Main building and the adjacent superintendent’s house. Recognizing the tremendous positive impact and the property’s historic significance, we enthusiastically agreed to the terms.

While other major research universities struggle with the restrictions of land-locked campuses and resulting enrollment restraints, UA’s enrollment has grown by 27% since 2010, and the university’s statewide annual economic impact has increased by nearly $1 billion. The Bryce property acquisition was critical to sustaining this growth and represents the future of the campus.

With regard to the particulars of rehabilitating the superintendent’s house, it is important to note the Peter Bryce campus has a rich history, and the main building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Built more than a century ago, the superintendent’s house has been a hub of activity for community leaders, physicians, and visitors from around the world who came to see first-hand how mental health services could be most effectively met and how community partnerships could flourish.

In fulfilling the terms of our agreement with the state of Alabama, we recently completed the superintendent’s house restoration project. To facilitate expansive use of this historic building, the UA System board of trustees has made this asset available to the entire University of Alabama System – UA, UAH, UAB and the UAB Health System – for events and meetings with educational, cultural, medical and other purposes.

Preservationists, historians, and community members alike have expressed their gratitude for the renovation of the home and their support for the building's use, which will have far-reaching impact for generations to come. All activities on the Bryce property will advance the interests of the University of Alabama System.

We are proud to see this remarkable property restored and are privileged to honor founding superintendent Peter Bryce, whose legacy is at the heart of Alabama’s history of mental health care.

Finis St. John is chancellor of the University of Alabama System.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: YOUR TURN | Finis St. John: Purchase of Bryce property is transformative