At its meeting on 17 November, the General Church Board (GCB) resolved to place the LCA’s North Adelaide properties on the market. The land package encompasses Australian Lutheran College (ALC), including the student housing, and the Churchwide Office.
‘The land and buildings are no longer serving the church well and they are unlikely to meet its future needs, with ongoing maintenance costs being significant’, Brett Hausler, Executive Officer of the Church, said. ‘While the North Adelaide site has been a blessing to the church over many years, it is appropriate to review its purpose.
‘ALC has moved to a distributed learning model and has indicated its desire to vacate. There is limited or no utilisation of some buildings and others are no longer fit for purpose. The Churchwide Office, located in a sprawling 1930s building, is inconsistent with modern workplace design and practice.’
‘So it is timely that we explore options for how we can be the best stewards of what we have been blessed with’, Mr Hausler said.
GCB reached the decision to put the properties on the market after 12 months of careful deliberation.
Significant work has been undertaken over the past year, including: reviewing the heritage and planning requirements such as listed buildings and significant trees; clarifying the needs of local council and heritage bodies; obtaining subdivision approval for the existing land to provide flexibility for either sale or redevelopment; and exploring buildings around Adelaide that might be suitable for a possible relocation.
The church is advertising for a property manager to assist in matters relating to these properties, including potential relocation of ALC and Churchwide Office. The job description for the role is available at www.lca.org.au/employment
Meanwhile, Catherine Court, a former boarding facility for female students of Lutheran Teachers College, recently sold with a favourable outcome. The 1960s three-level, 12-unit block on Wellington Square, North Adelaide, had been tenanted to the public, with ALC receiving rental income. The decision to sell the site was made as it had not been used for any LCANZ or ALC operations for a number of years, and capital and maintenance costs were expected to increase. In the interests of good stewardship, the proceeds from the sale will be invested so that the legacy of Catherine Court may live on.
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