On Wednesday, October 31, 2001, we purchased the Marie Vogt property directly across Main Street from St. Joseph Church. The Parish Finance Committee, the Building Committee, the Core Staff, and Bishop Hoffman have approved this purchase.

We extended our loan at Fifth Third Bank to cover the $350,000 purchase price.

Why did we buy this property?

On October 31, 2001, Sr. Carolyn Giera, Minister General of the Sylvania Franciscans, informed me that, while their long range planning has not been completed, the decision has been made that the Franciscans no longer wish to pursue the purchase of the property owned by St. Joseph's Parish. I appreciate having this information in advance of the previously agreed decision date of December, 2001 and consider the Vogt property acquisition vital to our Parish long range plans.

The acquisition of this site allows us to proceed with the school expansion and multi-generational building plans that I have been discussing with you. The four acres on the Main Street site are contiguous with the nearly eight acres on Ravine Road which the parish secured some years ago. These properties are essential to enable us to continue to serve the growing needs of over 3,000 families and nearly 10,000 parishioners of St. Joseph’s.

When completed, the site will feature a multi-generational building, a sports practice field, and other green space. We then will be able to relocate some activities that are currently conducted in the school building, which will allow us to make many long-needed improvements in our school programs.

What options have been considered in purchasing the site?

We have always been sensitive to the value the community places on the Main Street property. A committee of parish leaders, with a great deal of professional expertise in this area, has spent more than a year studying the purchase of the property. Here are some of the conclusions they reached.

• The property is vital to fulfilling our mission of serving the families within our parish. Over the last two years, the Building Committee has investigated expanding north and/or south of our existing property, as well as expanding the second floor of the school, and determined that none of these alternatives was viable.
• The house cannot be converted for parish use. The cost of bringing the house up to the standards required for commercial use as an office, e.g., would be prohibitive. One estimate showed that it would cost over $100,000 to remodel the home, not including code requirements like handicap access. We are also aware that Mrs. Vogt was in negotiations for quite a while with a buyer who wanted to convert the house to a bed and breakfast but eventually determined that the cost of conversion could not be justified.
• Keeping the house standing on the site without using it or maintaining it is not consistent with good stewardship practices.
• There was no financial support for moving the house to the Sylvania Historic Village. Our committee discussed this with the City of Sylvania, and the city made it clear that they could not support such a move financially.
• Numerous other interested parties have looked at the property over the past year—including the City of Sylvania. Each one has reached the same conclusion: considering the cost to purchase the property, the costs of upgrading the house for public use is prohibitive.

Our committee is moving forward with its plans for the site. We are seeking the approvals necessary to clear the site. As this process proceeds, we are willing to hear from individuals with viable plans and the financial resources to relocate the house and we would be willing to contribute financially to these efforts, but the time is very short.

With this project coming to fruition, 2002 is going to be a historic year for our Parish, and we will rely upon your support every step of the way. We will keep you informed on the progress of our project as we move forward.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,
 
 
 
 

Fr. Richard T. Wurzel

Pastor