The University announced on Sept. 24 that it is in the process of selling the Brandeis House Alumni Club of New York, a property on the Upper East Side at 12 East 77th Street, that has been used to host alumni events.

In an email sent to New York-area alumni obtained by the Justice, University President Frederick Lawrence wrote that Brandeis House is too small to accommodate the growing number of alumni in the area, which, at around 11,000 people, is the largest it has ever been.

He wrote that the building has also been underutilized in the past years as a result of its location, small room configuration, limited technological infrastructure and inaccessibility for people with physical disabilities.

In addition, according to a recent survey performed by the University, the majority of alumni prefer alum events to be held in Midtown rather than on the Upper East Side, wrote Lawrence.

According to Lawrence, the proceeds of the sale, expected to be in the tens of millions of dollars, will be placed in the University endowment.

As part of the transition, two alumni relations positions have been relocated from New York City to Brandeis’ campus. “This move will strengthen the voice of New York alumni and friends on campus and will enable us to meet the fast-growing demand for increased New York programming,” Lawrence wrote.

The Brandeis House was donated to the University by the Spingold family, according to a Dec. 16, 2010 BrandeisNOW article.

Executive Director for Integrated Media Bill Schaller noted that it was given as a gift in 1964. Schaller did not respond to questions regarding the stipulations of this gift or questions regarding more specific future plans.

—Hannah Wulkan