wfn.org | UCC celebrates 20 years in Cleveland headquarters

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

UCC celebrates 20 years in Cleveland headquarters

> Written by Gregg Brekke
> October 5, 2009

The United Church of Christ is celebrating 20 years in Cleveland as
its national headquarters and the denomination's contributions to the
economic renewal and vitality of the city's Gateway neighborhood.

Fall of 1989 marked the beginning of the UCC's transition from offices
in New York City, eventually bringing 250 jobs, a renovated nine-story
office building, hotel, chapel and thousands of visitors to a
once-blighted area of downtown Cleveland.

"The UCC was part of the initial renewal of the neighborhood and
downtown," says Tom Yablonsky, executive director of Cleveland's
Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corporation. "They've been a good
neighbor and an integral partner in the rebirth of Prospect Avenue
since the 1990s."

Significant to the UCC's presence in Cleveland was the building of the
Radisson at Gateway hotel in 1998. "[The addition of the hotel] was a
huge thing," says Yablonsky.

The UCC contributed to the redevelopment of Cleveland's entertainment
and sports hub while adding capacity to its location as a
denominational meeting center through construction and ownership of
the hotel. The hotel is positioned behind the headquarters on land
that was previously a parking lot.

An October 7 banquet will be held to commemorate the beginning of a
year-long observance of the move, says Hans Holznagel, the UCC's
associate for financial development. Those who had roles in the city's
selection as headquarters and the move, along with others who have
supported UCC ministries in Cleveland, have been invited to participate.

"It is difficult to put an exact date on the move to Cleveland," says
Holznagel. "There are many transition points ? the acquisition of the
building, the beginning of renovations, the first skeleton staff that
arrived, the dedication of the building. We decided it was best to
celebrate key benchmarks, beginning with the preparation for arrival
of staff from New York."

Cuyahoga County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones and the UCC's new
General Minister and President the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black will attend
the event. Black, who began his term as general minister and president
October 1, will offer greetings and a reflection.

Staff from the national setting will also engage in the "20 Years in
Cleveland All-Staff Community Service Day" October 6. This second
annual event places national staff in volunteer settings in and around
Cleveland.

"Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU) of Greater Cleveland has
supported the UCC in volunteering with non-profit organizations in the
area," says Kimberly Whitney, minister for community life and
assistant to the Collegium. "Many of our staff have relocated to work
here - this day of service is a great way for us to say 'thank you' to
our new home city."

The UCC's move to Cleveland was a long process. Initially located in
three New York City offices after the Uniting Synod of 1957, the
General Synod voted to reassess their location in 1985.

Five candidate cities were soon narrowed to three: New York, St. Louis
and Cleveland, with Indianapolis and Chicago being excluded. The
location committee initially selected St. Louis but their
recommendation was rejected by vote at the 1987 General Synod held in
Cleveland.

Another round of recommendations led to the selection of Cleveland,
"America's North Coast," as the headquarters city by a decisive vote
at the 1989 General Synod in Ft. Worth, Texas.

The UCC purchased the former Ohio Bell building at 700 Prospect Avenue
East for $5.25 million in June 1989 and renovations began shortly
after. The first staff to arrive in the fall of 1989 were UCC
president the Rev. Paul H. Sherry, UCNews editor the Rev. W. Evan
Golder and support staff including Charlene J. Smith.

Most offices were opened during January and February of 1990. A
building dedication and installation service for Sherry as
denominational president and Doris R. Powell as director of finance
was held March 23-25. Further renovations to the Church House
continued following 1990, culminating with the dedication of the
street-level Amistad Chapel in May of 2000.