CONCORD, NH — Members of a church in Concord, which was considering selling land in the city’s west end to build a new $176 million college, have voted to walk away from the deal.
CenterPoint Church’s negotiating team presented a report to members in late September suggesting they did not believe a deal could be reached between the two parties to sell approximately 37 acres of land off Clinton Street near Langley Parkway for a new college. After working for many months, church members unanimously agreed to cease negotiations. Still, they asked members, in two votes in October, to make a final decision on whether to move forward with continuing to try to make a deal or walk away.
Church members voted to walk away during the votes.
The church’s bargaining team raised four main objections to the state of negotiations, including property value tax charges, withdrawal penalties, contingencies the school was asking for, and the inability to find other land for the church to use for recreation. The school district was also unwilling to part with its land holdings for the church to use, the team said.
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There were also concerns about the pushback from the community, including environmental activists and others, who believed fewer students would walk to the new middle school if it was built so far out in the western part of town, as well as traffic problems already occupied. intersection.
Church members agreed that the funds, if an agreement was accepted, would not go into its general fund, except for reimbursement of disbursements during sales negotiations. Members would like the funds to be used for local, regional and global missions and evangelism, “the blessing of Concord Christian Academy and other Christian schools”, and the church’s capital fund. There is a capital fund debt of $120,000 that the church was also floating.
The Clinton Street land was set aside to build either a larger church, at some point, or a Christian school that would provide room for “growth and ministry.”