Plans for a new UF president’s house are in the works after a $3.5 million donation to the project.
The new house will be named the Dasburg President’s House, in honor of UF alumni and donors John and Mary Lou Dasburg, and it will be built on Village Drive. The two-story house is planned to span approximately 5,000 to 6,000 square feet and will include modern energy-efficient technology, according to a news release.
UF spokesman Steve Orlando said the idea to build a new president’s house was in its infancy until the Dasburgs’ donation. More than half of the required funds are now covered, but the search for the remaining money is still on. He said all the money for the project will come from private support — none from state tax dollars.
“The house itself is still in its conceptual stage. We don’t even have renderings yet,” he said. “But they’re on the drawing board.”
According to the release, the old president’s house will undergo renovations and act as an event venue for the university.
UF President Bernie Machen has not lived in the president’s house since 2006. At a Board of Trustees meeting earlier this year, governance committee members said the house’s inside was dated and didn’t provide much privacy.
A version of this story ran on page 1 on 9/17/2013 under the headline "Donation starts plans for 5,000-square-foot UF president’s house"
