Our Gift of Place
FROM THE BASSETT DISCERNMENT GROUP
St. Paul’s has a geographic legacy in downtown Fayetteville, as witnessed by our 175th anniversary boundary walk in May. That legacy is accompanied by a spiritual commitment to our local community. Magdalene House, 7 Hills, and Community Clinic testify to the depth of that commitment. And moving unclaimed ashes from the county and providing them rest on our grounds testify to its sincerity.
In 2020, we doubled down on our geography and purchased the two Bassett buildings across our parking lot. The Vestry recognized that it would be decades before we had another chance to consolidate our property footprint. The consensus to make a literal leap of faith even without a definite plan was unanimous. Now, with two and a half years left on the lease to the current tenant, the Vestry and Evan asked several of us to consider future use of the two buildings by establishing the Bassett Discernment Group in January.
Since then, we have met monthly to discuss what might be the highest and best use for the property and how it can meet St. Paul’s needs as well as those of the Fayetteville community. Preliminary recommendations to the Vestry are suggested as follows.
We recommend that future use of the Bassett Buildings and adjacent properties facing College Avenue be considered as part of a master plan.
The master plan should promote the highest and best use of the property to generate revenue to support St. Paul’s ministries while preserving adequate parking.
A mixed-use development featuring retail, office, and possibly residential spaces should be explored through a professionally conducted feasibility study.
St. Paul’s would almost certainly be a minority partner in any large-scale development. Finding the proper ownership structure that provides reasonable control for the church to ensure quality and appropriate use is a paramount consideration.
Support of ministries would be derived from development revenue. To put it in Monopoly terms, we own Park Place. Generating funds for an affordable housing initiative, for instance, will go much further on Baltic Avenue rather than in the high-rent district. Likewise, devoting development space to church activities would need to be weighed against generating revenue that might help us expand the kitchen and youth building.
St. Paul’s sits at the junction of commercial, residential, governmental, and entertainment districts. That’s not just a geographic location, but a spiritual and intellectual reality as well. We have an opportunity to pursue a double bottom line that is financially advantageous and increases social capital, too. As Christians the parable of the talents comes to mind. This may be our stewardship opportunity to turn one into 10 through our gift of place.
As financing and leases are secured until 2026, our group wants to wrap up its discernment work long before that. We have time to develop this vision and map a practical path to our future. The Bassett Discernment Group welcomes any and all input. We meet monthly after church on the second Sunday of the month in the conference room across from Jack Cleghorn’s office at 12:30 pm. Please join us at our next session on July 9 for dreaming and discussion. You are also invited to email us at bassett@stpaulsfay.org.
Respectfully,
George Faucette
Hershey Garner
Jay Huneycutt
Mac Mayfield
David McMath
Eliot Neel
Alan Ostner
Aubrey Pate