Union Presbyterian Seminary

James Armstrong (11.08.2017 20:35)
The Seminary, in pursuit of maximized income, has become an asset manager rather than a faith based educational institution, exemplifying the old joke: What's the shortest book in the English Language? Christian Business Ethics. A shame that will haunt the institution for the foreseeable future.

Susan Rebillot (11.08.2017 16:53)
The Seminary was gifted a beautiful 34 acres in the heart of northside's historic neighborhoods many years ago for educational and institutional purposes, which the City of Richmond zoning reflected. The Seminary took advantage of a City zoning error to plan a suburban-style 300 plus unit apartment complex that is incompatible in mass, scale, architectural style, and character to the surrounding context. It also will create a burden for taxpayers and the City in terms of stormwater management, roads, and schools due to the added population. Finally, it will adversely impact the historical character of surrounding neighborhoods and property values.

Neighbors have made organized efforts for several years to have civil, productive conversations with the Seminary representatives about alternative solutions to their reported dilemmas in terms of student housing and financial challenges. They have with very poor counsel elected to bring in an out of state developer with plenty of poor press in the state of Tennessee for their previous work, and their financial counsel has been poor, as well. All over the country, 9 churches close daily and seminaries are clising or altering their models of delivering education due to financial pressures.

So, this development not only alienates prior Seminary supporters and spoils the character of this area, but also is very unlikely to result in a significant uptick in students. It is also very unlikely to bring financial success, since the local market does not have demand for the number of rental units at the rental fees reported.

The Seminary should feel shame, as should the City of Richmond for their uncorrected error.

Melanie Hayes (11.08.2017 06:25)
The current Union Presbyterian Seminary leaders are a disgrace to the Christian community and have completely ruined the reputation of this once very well-respected institution. Don't be deceived by their Facebook images and posts for these are merely self-projections, a PR machine used to cover their shameful acts of destruction and hypocrisy. Their true face is the one they have repeatedly shown to the surrounding communities which can never be erased or covered up for God knows the truth. Do your homework on the people who have written the positive reviews for most are written by their talking heads (Michael Frontiero, Clay McCaulay, etc.) Unfortunately, a one-star minimum is required to post a review but UPS deserves a negative five star rating for running this institution into the ground. Choose your future and affiliation wisely!

Ben Salp (11.08.2017 02:55)
After decades being a good neighbor to the greater northside community in Richmond the seminary has chosen a path to secure their financial future by building 300+ apartments which will do great harm to our community by over taxing resources such as schools, roads and sewers. In the face of overwhelming opposition from the surrounding neighborhoods their response has been to simply declare that the dissent is isolated and few in number. Lastly, the seminary site has been utterly denuded of trees in the process.

Ann Knox (07.08.2017 22:34)
A community where students, staff and faculty are all valued in preparation for service to the church. I've been involved with this community as a neighbor, a student, and a staff member so I know it from a variety of perspectives. It is an amazing place to work and study.

Yorumunuzu ekleyin