University Baptist Church Letter

 Letter to the editor I sent to the Carbondale Times regarding University Baptist Church

Given that the University Baptist Church has held its last services and Good Samaritan House found itself unable to accept the offer of the facility, the city will likely find itself sometime in the next few years the recipient of yet another large building on which the owner will be unable to or unwilling to keep up with either maintenance or taxes. This is the unfortunate fate of most large buildings in Carbondale once their previous owner no longer has a need for them. The Johnson Hotel, Tuscan Lodge, Peerless Linens, Spires Grocery, Stage Company/ Bank Building, etc. The only ones offhand I can think of escaping this fate are part of the Walnut Street Baptist Church, the National Guard Armory complex and the Coca Cola Distribution facility on N. Oakland.

I would suggest the city reach out to University Baptist about accepting the building and then decide what to do with it, rather than leaving it set empty and unused, a the city will likely wind up in possession anyhow.