Arcadia University To Buy Former Bishop McDevitt High School From Archdiocese Of Philly

CHELTENHAM, PA — Arcadia University has announced that it plans to purchase the former Bishop McDevitt High School property in Cheltenham from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Arcadia and the Archdiocese said they have entered into an agreement of sale for the property, which includes 18.21 acres of land, a four-story building comprising 95,746 square feet, athletic fields and a parking lot.

The property, which is located at 125 Royal Way in the Wyncote section of Cheltenham, just about a mile from the Abington Township line, is within walking distance to Arcadia's Glenside campus.

"We are grateful to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for our years of a mutually beneficial partnership and for this extraordinary opportunity," Ajay Nair, Arcadia University president, said in a statement. "The acquisition of this property will afford us the space to continue to advance our esteemed academic programs while enhancing the educational experience for Arcadia students."

The Archdiocese and Arcadia entered into a shared use agreement regarding the property back in 2014, a pact that provided for dual credit enrollment programs and other initiatives that mutually benefited both entities, according to Arcadia.

As part of that deal, the Archdiocese granted a right of first offer to Arcadia if Bishop McDevitt — which closed at the end of last school year — was ever put up for sale.

In a statement, Kenneth A. Gavin, chief communication officer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, said that the Archdiocese believes the sale "will help preserve the building and enable it to continue to serve the community as an academic institution for years to come."

Nair, Arcadia's president, stated that more details about the university's use for the property would be forthcoming, and that the school would community directly with neighbors in Glenside and the surrounding community on its future plans.

"Arcadia will take a well-thought-out, measured approach to planning for this property ... which will limit our risk and expand the possibilities for Arcadia to venture beyond what we ever thought possible," Nair said in his statement. "Most importantly, this generational opportunity will facilitate our campus master planning and Adaptive Strategy, ARCADIA2025, and help us plan for and build the University of the future."