Church building purchase adds space for growth

JAKE FELDMAN Content Assistant

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his spring, Rochester University completed the purchase of the adjacent Rochester Church of Christ building, which will give the university 45,000 square feet of space for classrooms, offices and event space, including a large auditorium that seats up to 800 people.

The university purchased the building for $2.13 million, and it includes a long-term, facilities-use agreement with the Rochester Church of Christ congregation.

RU students have already utilized the new facility this spring as Chapel transitioned to the church auditorium at the beginning of the spring semester.

In an interview with the Christian Chronicle, Tom Rellinger, executive vice president and chief financial officer, said, “It’s the best possible scenario to add educational space we needed for the price. We also pick up 15 offices for faculty and staff. We couldn’t come close to that for the price.”

The university owns the building with shared spaces with the Rochester Church. The church will use the building on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights and will retain some permanent spaces for offices and storage rooms.

The purchase has been described by both university and church leaders as mutually beneficial. RU expands its property and assets, while simultaneously helping the congregation eliminate its mortgage on the building.

Rochester Church treasurer Burt Rutledge told the Chronicle that the sale gives the congregation freedom. “We want to meet our community ministry partners out in the world, not get locked in to ministry being in the building.”

The university will begin building construction this summer for offices and classrooms in addition to loading them with furniture and technology.

In an email on April 5 to employees, Rellinger wrote, “We will begin modifications, repairs and upgrades to the facility immediately in hopes of having the facility online for educational purposes for the fall. The facility will allow us to schedule 240 students into eight classrooms, in addition to the auditorium.”