Report from Facilities Master Plan Feedback Sessions

written by Harold Tessendorf, Chair, Facilities Master Plan Committee 

The Committee facilitated two well-attended, congregation-wide listening sessions on January 24^th and January 28^th, 2024, to receive feedback on a range of broad options related to the future use of our church campus.  This feedback did not represent a final “vote” on any option.  Instead, it provided the committee with a sense of which direction(s) the congregation would like to see the campus being used.

The Committee sought input on four parts of our campus.  These include the Washington Avenue Building, the High Street Building, the parking lots, and the High Place lot.

1. In the case of the Washington Avenue Building, the congregation’s order of preference was to jointly develop the building with a for- or non-profit partner for educational/office/meeting/ storage space or apartments followed by the option of demolishing the building and replacing it with a playground/park that can be used by FBCX and educational partners.
2. For the High Street Building, the congregation’s order of preference was to develop a lease/shared use agreement with a primary/tertiary educational partner followed by keeping the building exclusively for FBCX, but reconfiguring it for its ministries and ensuring that it is accessible.
3. The congregation unanimously favored leasing the Three Parking Lots, with most favoring the sale of the High Place lot. However, the Committee was asked to first ensure that the lot does not have any historical significance since it may have served as the first lot for First Baptist New Street.

The committee will now flesh these preferred options out in more detail so that these can be brought back to the Church Council and congregation for more deliberation and decision in the months ahead.  While the Committee will focus primarily on these four areas, it recommends that the congregation and Church Council not lose sight of the need to market the Sanctuary and Fellowship buildings as revenue-generation opportunities when these are not being used by FBCX.