Dear Editor:

As the Strategic Mission Steering Committee shared last week, we are pleased to be moving forward with the next steps in our partnership with the Presbyterian Foundation and Foundry Commercial to identify prospective redevelopment partners.

(If you’re a church member who missed that meeting, you can request the slides and video recording by emailing info@fpc-bethlehem.org.)

Recently, our Call for Offers process with Foundry has gone live. You can read more about it in our press release and this Lehigh Valley News story, but here are a few important highlights:

• We will preserve our existing Memorial Garden as a cherished part of the property that will be maintained in any future plans. Additionally, the congregation plans to continue to worship and operate on a portion of the campus moving forward and we hope to find a partner who will support expanding the work of our existing preschool, which is also certified as a day care and Childcare Works provider

• While the church will receive and evaluate all offers and concepts, we continue to have a clear commitment to housing justice and want to encourage development partners from the affordable housing sector to submit offers. We do hope to receive offers reflective of our Housing Vision Plan from last spring, but we are also open to a broad range of possibilities that achieve equity and access in housing. Some other examples might include affordable senior housing, supportive housing for adults with intellectual disabilities or young adults aging out of foster care, low-income first-time homebuyer opportunities, etc.

In terms of the prospective timeline, we anticipate receiving offers through the summer months, then spending the fall evaluating offers and prospective partnerships with the hopes of having a recommendation about which offer(s) to accept by the end of the calendar year. (Entering into any contracts with potential partners must be approved by both the congregation and the Presbytery.)

Then we’ll likely have a due diligence period lasting a year or two for partners to conduct inspections and surveys, and to pursue any needed municipal approvals. (No changes are expected to preschool operations during this time.)

We’re excited about this next step in our discernment and planning efforts, and we’re grateful for your continued prayers and support along the way. We trust that God’s future for our congregation will continue to be meaningful and impactful for our members and the wider community, and this process helps us live more fully into both.

With gratitude for the journey,

Rev. Lindsey

Altvater Clifton