It is back to square one for the city of Blair and the future of the building that used to make up Dana College that closed in 2010.
Midland University announced that they will no long be re-opening the old college after they came up with a plan to renovate Dana College in 2013.
In a statement the school said “The University has elected to focus future growth in areas where the demand is greatest by reinvesting in its Fremont campus, and securing a permanent footprint in Omaha."
“We were disappointed that is did not work out with midland college,” said Jim Realph, who is the Mayor of Blair.
He and said the news about Dana leaves the campus' fate unknown, “right now we need to try and get a meeting with the owner, at the end of march here it reverts back to him.”
Midland University had leased the campus with the option of purchasing it, but since then a hail storm left millions of dollars of damage, and the renovations for the rest of the campus were prices around $10-15 million.
“It is definitely worth the money if somebody can find a need,” said Realph.
Residents of Blair are tired of seeing the empty college.
“Now it’s just kind of blah,” said one resident.
“Oh yea, we want something going on over here, I don't know what but we don't want a slum area,” said Pat Hunsche who has lived across the school since 1965.
The mayor says that even though the new is disappointing they try to stay on the positive side.
“So we are kind of looking at a big opportunity here,” said Realph.
Midland University said some of the construction that has been going on at the Dana College should continue even though they do not plan to re-open.
