Miles College signs agreement to buy Birmingham-Southern College campus

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WIAT ) — Months after Birmingham-Southern College closed its doors for good, Miles College has now agreed to buy its 192-acre campus.

On Wednesday, BSC announced that the former college and Miles College had signed a purchase agreement for the campus. Both boards of trustees from the institutions have signed off on the matter.

“It is clear that institutions like Miles College continue to serve as powerful engines of economic
growth and opportunity,” Miles College President Bobbie Knight said in a statement. “For generations, Miles College has been a cornerstone of progress in our community. This opportunity is a significant next step in our vision to lift our college, campus, and community.”

BSC, which had been one of the preeminent private liberal arts schools in the state since 2018, shut down on May 31, months after college officials had pleaded with city and state officials to loan them money to dig them out of a $38 million hole that had deepened over decades of financial mismanagement. Despite the city of Birmingham pledging $5 million, State Treasurer Young Boozer denied giving the school a loan, sealing BSC’s fate.

Miles College, which was founded in 1898 in Fairfield, had previously made different offers to BSC for their property, but had come up short until the announcement Wednesday. No price tag for the property has been announced.

Specifically, once the sale is done, BSC will work with the Alabama Attorney General’s office to develop a plan for its endowment, subsequently applying for approval of the plan through court.

“We expect that process will take many months or even years to complete, and we will communicate with our endowment contacts once we know more,” former BSC President Daniel Coleman said in the statement.

No details on how much the property was sold for or when the sale will be complete were released.

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