Bastyr University Board of Trustees approved a resolution to list its Kenmore campus for sale on May 14. The university’s Kenmore campus is located at 14500 Juanita Drive N.E. in Kenmore WA. It sits on more than 50 acres of land positioned on the northeast shore of Lake Washington inside Saint Edward State Park.
Bastyr University said that it uses less than 50 percent of building space at its Kenmore campus, and the demand for online and hybrid learning options continue to increase. The university recently opened two online graduate degree programs and launched hybrid versions of other programs, while it closed three in-person programs due to low enrollment.
“Like so many systems in our culture, higher education is navigating rapid change,” said Bastyr University Board of Trustees Chair Carol Taylor. “It is responsible governance to examine institutional resources, and plan and protect the university for the future so it can remain approachable for students and fulfill its mission to educate the future leaders in the natural health arts and sciences.”
Bastyr University’s Kenmore campus is 10-miles from downtown Seattle and close to major employers including Microsoft, Amazon, Nintendo, T-Mobile, Pfizer and Phillips Healthcare. Development scenarios include options for affordable, mixed-use, multi-family housing in a village-like setting with access to recreational trails and wetlands.
Once a full or partial sale occurs, Bastyr University leaders plan to relocate to a new campus in the Seattle area for the in-person elements of its natural health arts and sciences programs.
“Bastyr University can create a positive scenario for itself and the Kenmore community,” explained Bastyr University President Devin Byrd, PhD. “On a new campus Bastyr students gain access to modern laboratories, advanced technology and amenities for wellbeing. The Kenmore community gains space, and a new partner to develop a mixed-use site, possibly with affordable housing, surrounded by a beautiful park to ensure quality of life.”
The university purchased its Kenmore campus from the Archdiocese of Seattle in 2005. Its largest building occupies 175,000 square feet, it is five stories high, and its construction dates to 1954. The university’s board and leadership cabinet is exploring a sale of the entire campus, or parts of it to secure the university’s financial health and its future.
For more information, visit https://bastyr.edu.
