A decision on Pilgrim church is pending

In light of recent news reports and other discussions in the community, I would like to clarify Youngstown State University’s position on the Pilgrim Collegiate Church building on Wick and Lincoln avenues, adjacent to campus.

The discussion about the future of the building began more than two years ago, when the owner of the facility — Faith Community Church — announced its intent to sell the structure. At the time, Faith Community Church was leasing the building to New Beginnings Outreach Ministries.

The church building — which includes a sanctuary and a wing of classrooms — is located on a prominent piece of property at a major gateway to YSU and across the street from Jones Hall — the signature building on the YSU campus.

In December 2007, the YSU Board of Trustees approved the purchase of the church. The university’s plan at the time was to lease the sanctuary to New Beginnings so the ministry could continue operating at the location. As the only predominantly African American congregation along Wick Avenue, New Beginnings’ neighbors expressed a strong desire to maintain the ecumenical diversity of the Wick Avenue neighborhood, a community goal which the university, as a founding member of Wick Neighbors, shares.

Last fall, however, New Beginnings informed the university of its intention to vacate the building at the end of 2008 and move, instead, to a new location on the city’s West Side. This decision left the university without a tenant and the sanctuary without a readily obvious use.

Let me emphasize that, despite what people may have inferred from recent press reports, YSU has made no decisions concerning the future of the building. We are exploring all reasonable options. To this end we will be undertaking the following actions:

UConducting a thorough analysis of the historic value of the building, its integrity and its contribution to the larger Wick Avenue district;

UConducting a thorough assessment of potential future university uses of the building as a whole;

UConducting a thorough review of the property as a site for possible future development; and

UConducting a thorough review of an interim use of the site — absent the sanctuary and the classroom building — for surface parking and enhanced landscaping that will establish an attractive entrance to the campus from downtown Youngstown.

We welcome pragmatic recommendations for the future of this important site and are open to meeting with parties seriously interested in exploring realistic alternatives for reuse of the building and grounds.

YSU remains committed to preserving Youngstown’s significant historic fabric. The university has restored the historic Church of Christ Science on Spring Street and now utilizes this building as the Sweeney Welcome Center. More recently we collaborated with the Butler Institute of American Art to improve landscaping and utilities serving the adjacent First Christian Church Disciples, which the museum acquired for necessary expansion. We are currently undertaking the restoration of Coffelt Hall, historically an American Legion hall, as the university’s office of graduate studies. As recently as last week, we presented a specific design and budget proposal for the preservation and reuse of the historic Wick Pollock mansion.

As we move into our second century of service to the Mahoning and Shenango valleys, Youngstown State University will remain a responsible institutional citizen and neighbor, dedicated to preserving the proud past of the university and the community while also progressively moving forward to face the challenges of the next century.

X Hunter Morrison is director of Campus Planning and Community Partnerships at Youngstown State University.