Seigle Avenue Presbyterian Church has reached a potential deal to sell its property just east of uptown to a developer, adding to a slew of changes sweeping the area east of center city to Plaza Midwood.
Presbyterian Church (USA)’s local governing body voted this weekend to approve the sale, said Betty Meadows, a church official. She said the contract’s confidentiality clause prevented her from disclosing the developer or the sale price, neither of which are public record yet.
The church plans to seek transitional space after the sale closes and then find a new, permanent location to call home, Meadows said.
The church will look for a new “mission field,” a part of the community it can impact positively with its presence, she said. Seigle Avenue Presbyterian, one of the city’s first integrated churches, has long been attractive to progressive Christians who wanted to practice their faith by helping the community.
The church was known for its advocacy on behalf of tenants at the former Piedmont Courts public housing complex, which was right across the street from the church’s old building a few blocks away, before both were torn down.
“This really amazing opportunity gives them the gift of deciding where in the city could they relocate so their gifts, their passion for mission, could once again be invested in the Kingdom,” said Meadows, transitional general presbyter.
The church owns three acres at the corner of 10th Street and Seigle Avenue, according to property records.
A wave of new development has come through nearby Plaza Midwood, reshaping the neighborhood and adding more than 1,000 new apartments in a half-dozen major complexes planned or under construction.
Across the street from Seigle Avenue Presbyterian, at the southwest corner of 10th Street and Seigle Avenue, Pamlico Investments is planning to build a new mixed-use, self-storage facility. The building could be up to five stories tall, totaling 150,000 square feet, including office space, restaurants, shops and an enclosed self-storage business. That plan is set for a rezoning hearing in April.
