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Church hits market, university takes action |
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Tuesday, 05 February 2008 |
by BRANDON BROWN
News Reporter
The First Presbyterian Church of Boone voted Jan. 27 to sell the church and its adjoining parking lots to Appalachian State University.
Although the university has discussed the sale price with the church leaders, the transaction has not been formally agreed upon, said Dr. Lorin A. Baumhover, chief of staff to Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock.
The purchase would cover roughly 1.85 acres, including parking lots on King Street and Howard Street,
as well as the Westminster Canterbury Fellowship building across from the church, said Neville
Chaney, chair of the church’s exploration of relocation committee.
 After serving community members for 67 years, the First Presbyterian Church on Howard Street entered negotiations to sell all 1.85 acres of its buildings and parking lots to Appalachian State University. Photo by Alisha Park
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“We think [the purchase] would be a wonderful addition to the campus,” Baumhover said.
The First Presbyterian Church, which was erected in 1941, is approximately 20,000 square feet in size
and has been renovated several times since then, Chaney said.
However, the church has recently experienced some difficulty accommodating elders and children,
Chaney said.
“The church has been landlocked,” Chaney said. “[There is] nothing we can do to the present facility to
utilize it the way we need to.”
Chaney said the church plans to erect a new complex on a 12-acre lot on Deerfield Road.
The university was approached by church leaders with the proposition and did not initially seek to
obtain the property, Baumhover said.
Appalachian State has had a long-standing lease arrangement with the church for full use of the
parking lot behind Plemmons Student Union, said Greg Lovins, vice chancellor of business affairs.
The location of the land makes the offer of high interest to the university, Baumhover said.
Although a finite figure has not been agreed upon, the university’s endowment fund would bankroll the
purchase, along with land acquisition funds, from the General Assembly, Lovins said.
No decisions have been made regarding whether the facility will remain as is or be completely
demolished, Baumhover said.
However, university officials have discussed developing an energy, environmental and economic (EEE)
research facility or possibly an arts and sciences building, Baumhover said.
Baumhover and Chaney both said the complete transition of the facilities is years away from
finalization.
“Certainly the church and the university would hope [the transaction occurs] sooner rather than later,”
Lovins said. “Everyone is anxious and wants to accelerate the process.”
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