NIC president asks BNSF billionaire to donate land

COEUR d'ALENE - Priscilla Bell went right to the "Oracle of Omaha" himself to ask for help.

The North Idaho College president sent a letter in August to Warren Buffett asking the billionaire investment mogul if Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad would consider donating a narrow chunk of land it owns along Northwest Boulevard to the college.

Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate acquired BNSF in February. He is No. 2 behind Bill Gates on Forbes magazine's most recent list of the richest people in America.

"I admit to being a bit bold, but nonetheless, North Idaho College would certainly be very grateful if BNSF would give us this small, isolated parcel of land," Bell wrote.

The 2.63-acre strip of property runs northwest from the intersection of River Avenue and Park Drive on the NIC campus. It is adjacent to the BNSF right-of-way that is in the process of being abandoned along Northwest Boulevard.

Bell detailed for Buffett NIC's 43 percent enrollment increase and simultaneous reduction in revenue since the economy's slump in 2008, and mentioned the development of the education corridor.

"Despite these challenges, we have embarked upon an ambitious project to expand our physical campus," Bell wrote. "A crucial part of the expansion involves a small parcel of land adjacent to our campus that severely limits our ability to improve ingress and egress."

Bell told Buffett in her letter "the price BNSF has placed on the land is completely out of our reach."

John Martin, NIC's vice president of community relations said the college was told the land has an appraised value of roughly $700,000.

After Buffett received the letter, NIC was contacted by BNSF's real estate division last fall to let them know Bell's request was "under consideration."

Martin said BNSF may have an answer for Bell by the end of the month.

The railway corporation has a history of making land donations.

In 2008, BNSF gave 4 acres to Northern Lakes Fire District for a new fire station slated for construction sometime this year. The same year, BNSF donated 4.9 acres for a "veterans peace park" in Whitefish, Mont.