Baptist General Convention of Texas executives signed a lease agreement Dec. 29, 2014, for office space in Dallas about eight miles north of the current Baptist Building near downtown. They finalized the sale of the Baptist Building to Baylor University Jan. 22.
More than two years ago, Baylor University approached Texas Baptist leaders about buying the current Baptist Building near the flagship Baylor Scott & White Health hospital campus in Dallas for the university’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing.
Interior view of the future BGCT office space.On May 20, 2014, the BGCT Executive Board voted to sell the building for $13 million, plus other considerations. The sale price includes $8 million in cash and $5 million paid over time.
In addition to $13 million, the university is providing financial support for conducting four BGCT annual meetings in Waco. The university also is providing a building in Waco to house the Texas Baptist Historical Collection, which has been located in the Baptist Building in Dallas. And the university will pay to move the collection as well as digitize its most important material.
Moving forward, Executive Board staff leaders signed a lease for two floors of the 14-story Rambler Park building, located at US-75 and Walnut Hill in north Dallas, near Presbyterian Hospital.
‘Good visibility, easily accessible’
“We wanted good visibility and easy accessibility,” said Jill Larsen, the BGCT’s treasurer/CFO, explaining the rationale for the new location. “This (property) had the most conducive space for us and a favorable lease term and negotiation process.”
The lease agreement is for 91 months, which includes some free months, Larsen said. The convention may terminate the lease after 66 months, she added.
Most employees who work in the Baptist Building will move to the new building.
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Exceptions are the Christian Life Commission, which relocated to Austin last fall; the Historical Collection, which will relocate to Waco prior to the Dallas office move; and a small number of employees in the warehouse, which will be housed at a yet-to-be-determined location.
“With the rapid change occurring in Texas, we feel that leasing space and this move gives us the opportunity to address and adapt to that ongoing change,” Larsen said.
The new building will be adjacent to the DART rail system, which executives believe will be beneficial for many employees. Larsen also noted the convention received a generous tenant improvement allowance to customize the space to fit needs of the Executive Board staff.
Move set for late August
Relocation is expected to take place in August or early September.
“We are looking forward to the opportunities for increased ministry impact alongside our affiliated churches,” BGCT Executive Director David Hardage said when the building sold.
“Ultimately, this is an opportunity to improve relationships, put ministering to people first and add collaborative ministries to reach the state,” Hardage said. “It’s more than dollars and cents. It’s about flesh, blood and souls.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: The first paragraph was edited Jan. 27 to correct an inacccurate date.
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