Rev. Jill Duffield
Senior Pastor
Friends,
I wanted to update you on where we are with the proposed project where the Shetler building currently stands.
Thanks to all of you who participated in the information sessions or watched the recording of the one that was offered on Zoom. Here is the link to the recording if you’ve not had a chance to see it. We are collecting all your comments and questions. Here is a link to some of the FAQs we have so far.
Please know that there are many steps that must be taken and many things that must come together for this project to become a reality. DHIC demolishing the Shetler building and parking deck and then constructing 40 units of affordable housing for seniors may not happen.
The Property Committee and Session are prayerfully, carefully, taking each next step as together we discern God’s will. To that end, the Session voted to empower the Property Committee to work with DHIC to enable them to seek the rezoning of the property so that the new building could be a story and a half taller than what currently stands.
Here are the next steps:
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- DHIC will seek to rezone the property.
- In January of 2024, DHIC will submit a preliminary application to the NC Housing Finance Agency for tax credits that would fund the project.
- If invited, DHIC would submit a final application for tax credits in May of 2024.
- In August the announcement is made as to whether or not the project was awarded the tax credits. Only 25% of applications get funded.
- If the project is among that 25% DHIC has two years from the award of the tax credits to complete the project. If the project does not receive the tax credits DHIC could apply again in January, 2025.
As you can see, this is far from a done deal and much could prevent this from happening. We encourage you to ask questions, share concerns, tell us what you think, hope, fear, wish. We will continue to offer opportunities for conversation both in person and on Zoom. Should there be any developments we will communicate them as they come to light.
You can email me; our Director of Property, Tim Millisor; Paul Leonard, chair of the Property Committee; or any of our Session members. We will tell you what we know and what we don’t know. We pledge to be honest, transparent and welcoming of any and all input.
We trust God will accomplish far more than we can ever hope or imagine, and we pray only to be faithful in participating in whatever God is doing in and through and with us.
