Christian Association up for sale

The University wants to purchase the building from the Christian Association "for a fair price," administrators say. The Christian Association made its intentions to sell or lease its building public this week, posting prominent "for sale or lease" signs on the facility at 36th Street and Locust Walk. Although the University has long sought to take over the building, discussions between the CA and University officials have not made much progress recently, the Rev. Beverly Dale, the CA's executive director, said. Managing Director of Real Estate Tom Lussenhop said the University's goal has been to purchase the property at a "fair price -- and our position on that has not changed." Dale suggested, however, that the time might not be right for University officials to take over the building. "Perhaps this is not the best time for them since they have just outsourced their entire real estate department," she said, referring to the recent decision to turn over management of University facilities to the Trammell Crow Company. The decision to sell or lease the CA building, along with the space of its adjoining tenants, comes as the result of ongoing efforts to transfer management of the building, Dale said. "This is not a new strategy and should come as no surprise to the University or the Penn community," Dale said. The property has been on the real estate market for nine to 10 months, Lussenhop said. Yet while Dale said all tenants have been kept informed of the CA's intentions to develop the property, Palladium and Gold Standard co-owner Roger Harmon -- who has leased space from the CA since 1983 -- said the posting of the sign "was a surprise to us." Harmon added, however, that "our lease is for at least another five years, so there should be no immediate effect on us." Current plans do not call for the CA to vacate the property entirely. But while Dale said the CA would like to stay "in the building or to stay at least partial owners," she added that relocating is a possibility. Dale said the CA's board of directors is examining a few locations for alternate space, but would not specify where. Eric van Merkensteijn, the board's chairman, said that ideally the organization would "remain in the building? and bring other compatible programs into the building." Last semester, students and members of the CA discussed the possibility of forming a campus-wide "Unity Center," and the decision to sell or lease the property might help make that a reality, Dale said. "Since the floor plan is that of a student center, we would welcome finding a compatible use which would also serve students' needs, particularly if it could encourage utilizing the rich resources of our diversity," she said. Dale had expressed frustration last year that the CA's directors -- who currently own the building -- spend an excess of time managing and overseeing the facility, interfering with the time and energy they can spend on programming. "In the past years, I have spent valuable staff time resolving pigeon poop in the stairwells and numerous broken steam pipes," she said. "People who want to support our ministry want their funds to go to our work with students and not to these other distractions."