Northwestern has recently purchased the buildings and property owned by Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, officials announced last week.

The acquisition consists of land adjacent to NU property and buildings that were on land already owned by the university that had been leased to Seabury. The properties were already tax-exempt when Seabury owned them, said Eugene Sunshine, vice president for business and finance.

Students have been living in one of the residence halls since last March, but the additional housing opened up will be “very useful” in the fall for returning students, said Mark D’Arienzo, associate director of university housing.

The purchase will allow the university to add additional classrooms, faculty and staff housing, undergraduate and graduate residences and administrative offices, Sunshine said.

“The location is also excellent, being essentially in the middle of campus,” Sunshine said.