Regents Give OSU Authority To Use Eminent Domain For Athletic Village

Friday, July 28th 2006, 1:30 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma State University officials now have authority to use eminent domain to acquire the final piece of property where the university plans to build an athletic village.

The Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents Friday voted to give OSU the authority.

OSU President David Schmidly says just one piece of property -- a rental house -- remains of the 87 the OSU Foundation wants to buy for make way for the village. Plans call for a $316-million village with a new baseball stadium, upgraded facilities for track, tennis and soccer and an indoor practice facility for football, baseball and other sports.

Schmidly says he hopes eminent domain isn't needed for the property which the Payne County Assessor's Web site says is owned by McCloskey Brothers Incorporated. Schmidly says negotiations for the property are continuing but declined to say how much is being offered.

A phone number listed for McClosky Brothers and Joel McClosky was not in service Friday.