Pickleball courts that will become part of Eastern U. when the sale is finalized in about 5 months.
Eastern University has inked a deal to buy nearly half of the remaining campus of Valley Forge Military Academy and College – some 33 acres – including its football stadium, track, fieldhouse and 16 pickleball courts as well as multiple apartment buildings that will house Eastern students, according to a statement released today.
While Valley Forge Military Academy has been struggling, culminating in its surprise early autumn announcement to close the Academy next May, neighboring Eastern has boomed. The Christian university enrolls a record 10,000 students on campus and online and now fields six NCAA Division 3 teams.
Build in partnership with Eastern and open since 2022, Valley Forge Military Academy’s athletic complex on Radnor Street Rd. includes a turf field, track, bleachers, press-box, and lacrosse field. St. Davids Golf Club is across the street.
The deal formalizes an ongoing partnership between the two institutions that sit less than a mile apart in St. Davids. Eastern has been leasing VFMAC sports facilities since 2021 and the Middle Atlantic Conference champion Eastern Eagles will play round three of the NCAA D3 Championship Tournament at VFMAC’s football stadium this Saturday.
In an email to the campus community, Eastern President & CEO Ronald Matthews called the purchase an “exciting milestone … As Eastern continues to grow, this expansion ensures we have the room to support that growth while maintaining the close-knit, Christ-centered environment that makes our community so special.”
“The agreement will allow both institutions and campuses to flourish,” said VFMAC President Col. Stuart Helgeson, in the statement.
The two-year Valley Forge Military College will continue to operate on campus. No word yet on how the Eastern deal might impact a proposal to open Valley Forge Public Service Academy Charter School on campus.
In its heyday, Valley Forge Military Academy spanned some 100 acres. Faced with declining enrollment and mounting legal and financial woes, it has sold off more than half its valuable acreage to developers in recent years.
Good story/ update, but how does this impact the Charter school plans you recently reported on?
oh no word yet..
I am a fan of Caroline O’Halloran! My wife Sarah subscribes and shares articles with me periodically. Time for me finally to subscribe. Best wishes to you, Caroline if you’re reading this. Dan Wofford ([email protected]).
Nice to hear from you, Dan! And thanks for reading SAVVY. Best to Sarah – I would love to see you two one day!