Mansion sale makes sense

With the best of intentions, Ellen Noël left her palatial Country Club Estates mansion and the surrounding beautiful grounds to the University of Texas of the Permian Basin with the prospect of it being used at the home of the president.

But give current UTPB President David Watts credit for passing up that grand opportunity in favor of an alternative that is both appropriate and a benefit to the entire Permian Basin.

 University officials have chosen to place the former home of W.D. and Ellen Noël up for sale. Proceeds from the 10,000-square-foot house, which is listed at $2.1 million, will toward the university new fine arts center. And that makes perfectly good sense because the facility, now under construction at Highway 191 and FM 1788 northwest of Midland International Airport, bears the Noël name.  Funds from the sale will go toward the Wagner-Noël Performing Arts Center. Ellen Noël and Midlanders Cy and Lissa Wagner donated $10 million to the fine arts center project. Lissa Wagner is the daughter of the Noëls.

Watts' reasoning was right on. He said the estate would be expensive to maintain. Plus, he added, "The period of time in American university history where presidents live in publicly maintained upscale homes is in the past."

To be sure, having the mansion and grounds as part of the university would have been great for events involving entertaining. But the performing arts center will be a grand venue for such events, too, when it is completed. And surely more people will be able to enjoy the fine arts facility than would have been able to be accommodated at the Noël home.

Obviously, this is not the best timing for putting such an exclusive property on the market. But it's a good bet something as unique and grand as the Noël estate will attract the right buyer.

And it is fitting that proceeds from the sale of a showcase home will be used to enhance what promises to be a much bigger and more public showcase facility that will benefit future generations.