We live in interesting times, times
of rapid change. We can either lament the change and stand on the sidelines, or
we can enter into the change and try to shape the future for the better.
Our neighborhood is
changing. You probably have noticed that many of our neighbors have been
developing their property. Several years ago the University Baptist Church undertook
a land lease with a developer, and now we have the Calloway House down the
street. Soon after that the Lutheran Center (catty-corner from our Parish
Center/Gym) also entered into a deal with developers, and now we have
University House as a neighbor. The University of Texas has also gotten into
the act, buying property around MLK and Guadalupe for their new business school Clearly that work is well underway.
Finally, we all learned recently that the McDonald’s site is being redeveloped
and will become a multi-story luxury hotel in the Marriott chain. Our
neighborhood is changing.
I think that we as a parish, with
all the development going on around us, need to ask what are we doing?
Well, we just upgraded our school
with new bathrooms, an art room and an enrichment center. We are updating the
appearance of our Church on the drag, redoing the first floor of the rectory,
and adding a new lobby with new bathrooms. Beyond that, however, what
opportunities and possibilities are opening up for us? How can we best use the potential that our
location gives us?
Beginning with some questions from
the School Advisory Board, we have begun to seriously ask that question. We
have received permission from the Diocese of Austin to meet with developers to
explore potential redevelopment opportunities that would leverage our existing
properties to the maximum mission and financial benefit to our community. I
have formed a small committee (Development Committee) to assist me in this
process: Christopher Kennedy, Trish Dolese, Christopher Bell, Ted Smith, Kelly
Badu and Jennifer Anderson. We are in the process of selecting a broker to
represent the parish’s interests as we solicit offers from developers. This
committee will be formulating our “needs” that any development deal will have
to address and will be reaching out to relevant parish and school groups, as
needed, for assistance.
At the outset of this exploration,
I want emphasize that this is an exploration, and I want to allay any concerns
you may have about what we are doing. So as to maximize opportunities for
developers to think about the totality of our property, we have only placed a
few restrictions on the ideas we are willing to entertain:
- · No land will be sold as part of any deal. Rather, a long term lease will likely be negotiated.
- · The church building itself (as our worship home) and the new entrance lobby we are adding will remain, and no development plan will be entertained that removes these buildings.
- · Any development deal will need to include space for our school on-site.
- · Any development deal will need to include ministry space on-site.
This will be a long undertaking,
and there is absolutely no pre-conceived notion about the success of any
development deal. We are undertaking this exploration as good stewards of the
parish’s resources, attempting to ensure that those resources are being used in
the best manner possible to continue the mission of this parish, now and into
the future. All the various groups such as the parish staff, the school
community, the Diocese of Austin, and certainly St. Austin Parish at large,
will be consulted prior to any agreement.
I want to assure you that we will
keep you up to date as this process unfolds! I ask for your prayers as we
proceed. THANKS.
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