GlobeSt.com UPDATE: Religious College Still Seeking Urban Campus

ISSAQUAH, WA-Trinity Lutheran College is getting serious about its relocation effort. After an 18-month marketing effort, the religious university in February agreed to sell its forested 40.5-acre campus here to another religious institution–City Church of Kirkland–but has yet to identify the smaller, more urban setting it is seeking to continue its mission. Having just completed a comprehensive relocation planning process, however, TLC’s board of directors have a much better idea of what they need and anticipate reviewing initial proposals on available sites in mid-October. If one can’t be found soon, TLC has a fall-back position, as the purchase and sale agreement for its current campus allows for the university to remain on its campus–sharing the space with the buyer–until July 2009 if necessary. Jim Norman of Seattle-based MetPartners (formerly Sage Real Estate Strategies) is managing the search for a new location. He has been seeking and accepting proposals for months, but previously told GlobeSt.com the search would not get serious until after the purchase and sale agreement for its existing campus was finalized and the university knew how much it would have to spend on a new campus. That occurred sometime between February and June.TLC’s existing campus includes 220,000 sf in eight buildings situated on 28 acres that could hold still more buildings, plus two wooded six-acre parcels that do not yet hold any buildings. Current facilities include classrooms, three chapels, dining rooms, an auditorium, residence halls, gymnasium, indoor swimming pool and fitness center. The sale price has not yet been revealed, but earlier this year Norman told GlobeSt.com the value of the campus to an owner-user like City Church of Kirkland would be in the mid-$20-million range, which is about one half of what it would cost to reproduce the campus on raw land.”The board chose mission over place,” says TLC president John Stamm. “Rather than allowing debt and its consequences to threaten our mission, the board chose to use a highly appreciated asset–the Providence Heights campus–to begin anew in a more appropriately-sized campus.” Norman told GlobeSt.com earlier this year that he is evaluating appropriate relocation sites for Trinity from Marysville to Tacoma. Ideally, the college wants to find 80,000 sf to 125,000 sf with nearby access to recreational facilities. Norman says the college is entertaining all options, from taking over an old hotel on the Interstate 5 corridor that has lots of meeting (would-be classroom) space to renovating an old building in Downtown Seattle or Tacoma. TLC also has a significant endowment and its board could choose to undertake a capital campaign once a new site is selected.The university’s “essential requirements” list for a new urban campus include a “technologically smart” classroom space, worship chapel; multi-purpose library; green space (on campus or nearby), conference rooms; faculty offices; access to housing for 100 students, some married; food service space; a nearby fitness facility and; an athletic field.Norman says opportunities to collaborate with other colleges, universities and para-churches would be given favorable consideration by those making the site selection. Similarly, proposals with potential alliances with ancillary service providers such as housing facilities, food services and athletic facilities are likely to be well received. Norman has already received several inquiries from property owners, but he declined to get specific. Norman anticipates receiving additional proposals from a variety of property owners, including individuals, corporations with surplus property, public entities, quasi-governmental groups and public-private partnerships, such as economic development councils.