Longtime Eugene church to leave city's core

By RICHARD KOE
EUGENE

First Baptist Church, a fixture in downtown Eugene for 74 years at the busy intersection of Broadway and High Street, has decided to move to the city's northern outskirts and build on its own property at the Harlow Triangle off Coburg Road and County Farm Road.

The decision was made by church members following four weekend services on April 1-2 , with about 87 percent of the voting congregation supporting the move to property south of Camp Harlow, the youth camp owned by the church.

Dave Weinkauf, church council chairman, told the Register-Guard newspaper that members had mixed emotions about moving because of the church's long history in downtown Eugene. One 50-year member, Shirley Martin, told the paper that she was baptized at the downtown church along with her children, who also grew up there. But she felt the move was the right thing to do.

Another longtime member, Morven Thomas, said he was fond of the old building , but he also felt the decision to relocate is a good one. He feels the move was God's will.

The landmark downtown church building, with its familiar red bricks, is an example of Georgian architecture popular during the 18th century in England. Its pillars and Palladian windows have attracted architectural students studying at the University of Oregon campus just a mile away. A chapel and classroom space were added to the complex in the early 1960s.

At the church's future location, a 110,000 square-foot structure is planned with a sanctuary seating 1,700 people. Wilson William Architects of Portland are designing the building, and they already have a rough design and „footprint‰ of the building. Expected cost of the building, parking lot, and other improvements is $12.5 million.

The decision to move reversed an earlier plan last year when church officials floated a stopgap idea of building a „great hall‰ at Camp Harlow and splitting the four weekend services between the downtown location and the camp. Many members frowned about this idea, and church leaders went back to the drawing board.

Weinkauf told the Register-Guard that the downtown church facility is valued at $4.5 million, and several potential buyers have already stopped by to inspect the building even though it was not officially on the market until the votes were counted on April 2.

The congregation will be given the opportunity to approve the sale rather than selling the property to a commercial buyer with no strings attached. Some ideas for the historic building include selling it to another congregation or arts group, or to a developer intent on creating new offices or an apartment complex.

Expectations are that First Baptist will leave Eugene's downtown core area once the new facilities are completed and ready for occupancy near Camp Harlow. For years, the church has had a major ministry to nearby UO students with many of them becoming student members. How the move to the city's outskirts will affect the campus ministry remains to be seen.