The Washington State University regents were expected to take action Wednesday on a more than $15 million real estate deal, but their vote was postponed because it wasn’t clear whether WSU actually owns some of the buildings it was preparing to sell.
The transaction involves the sale of 29 buildings and 125 acres of land to the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport, which is in the process of expanding and realigning its runway to bring it into compliance with federal regulations.
However, paperwork discrepancies discovered Tuesday evening suggested nine of those buildings might belong to the U.S Department of Agriculture, which has utilized the spaces for joint research ventures for decades. WSU officials couldn’t say how the discrepancies previously went unnoticed after more than a year of complex negotiations involving the school, the airport, and the Federal Aviation Administration.
The university hopes to quickly identify the true building owners, and officials say the regents should be able to vote on the sale during their regular meeting in the third week of September, if not sooner.
The deal also requires approval from the Pullman City Council. (Lewiston Tribune)
