It would seem that JMU will be buying this 60 acre parcel on South Main Street that was originally intended to be privately developed as student housing.

Per the Daily News Record (June 7, 2014)....

James Madison spokesman Bill Wyatt said that while the university has no immediate plans for the property, the board is buying it to add flexibility to shuffle the school’s auxiliary, nonacademic services away from the center of campus, and create space for future facilities.

Read the full DNR article here.

Read about the 466 apartments that were originally going to be built on this land here.