WKU will soon tear down a dilapidated yellow house that stands where Normal Street splits off of State Street, a university official said. 

The property at 1560 Normal St., which WKU bought for $121,000, will be demolished after July 1, said Jennifer Tougas, WKU’s director of Parking and Transportation Services and the interim assistant vice president for business services.

The property, which the university has long wanted to acquire as part of its master plan because of the proximity to campus, is in such poor condition that it must be torn down, Tougas said. 

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“The previous owner, who passed away, was not able to take care of the property so it became a priority for us to acquire that property so that we could improve it,” she said. 

For the time being, she said, the property where the house stands across from Raymond Cravens Library will become parking, linked to lots that already exist to the front and rear of the house. 

“In the short term, if you look at the campus master plan and how it’s developing,  you can put all of those properties together and there can be more uses for the university,” said Tougas. 

The Board of Regents approved purchasing the property earlier this year, when its price was lowered.