Church sells east campus property

The following article is based on a press release the WCG sent to the Los Angeles Times and the Pasadena Star-News.

PASADENA—The Worldwide Church of God announced Feb. 11 the sale of its east campus property in the Old Pasadena historic commercial district to Sares-Regis Group, a prominent Southern California developer, for an undisclosed sum.

Bernie Schnippert, church treasurer, announced the sale to employees that afternoon.

EMPLOYEE MEETING—Bernie Schnippert announces sale. [Photos by Thomas C. Hanson]

Sares-Regis Group plans to meet with the city to discuss its plans for a transit-oriented urban village that could include for-sale and rental homes.

The sale will allow the church and its development team to concentrate their efforts on completing the entitlement process for the west campus portion of the Ambassador campus planned development. The Ambassador campus is designed as a residential neighborhood that blends historic homes, gardens, new community infrastructure and the potentially reopened Ambassador Auditorium.

“The sale of the east campus is good for everyone involved,” Dr. Schnippert said. “The church is happy that we can continue our religious mission to focus our resources on our nearly 600 pastors and 800 congregations around the world.”

Bill Montgomery, spokesman for Sares-Regis Group, said: “We are very proud to have reached this agreement with the Worldwide Church of God, and are eager to develop the east campus with a project that meets or exceeds the high architectural design and landscape standards that make Pasadena such a special place. It is exciting to play a bigger role in this extraordinary community.

“The project we envision will help ease the housing shortage, and complement the exciting and vibrant Old Pasadena with an urban village neighborhood that is an easy walk to two Gold Line [light rail] stations,” Montgomery added. “We are just getting started in defining the scope of our project. We look forward to working with the City and community as we create the new plan.”

Dr. Schnippert agreed: “The property is in good hands. Utilizing their community planning and development experience, Sares-Regis Group will bring a new vision to the east campus parcel.”

Sares-Regis Group is one of the leading developers, managers and builders of residential and commercial real estate in the Western United States. The company has acquired or developed about 36 million square feet of commercial properties and more than 18,000 apartment and residential homes since its inception.

The Worldwide Church of God assembled more than 100 separate parcels of land over the past 50 years to build the 48-acre Ambassador campus, which has served as its international headquarters and the Pasadena campus of Ambassador College.

In acquiring these properties, the church was able to save many significant historic structures and gardens from likely demolition. The campus is widely recognized for its magnificent landscaping, historic homes and the Ambassador Auditorium. The church’s development plan includes the preservation of the significant homes and gardens, and the potential reopening of the Ambassador Auditorium.

With its belief in preserving the best of Pasadena character, the church created the Ross Grove historic landmark district to include five single-family homes on South Orange Grove Boulevard that had been part of the campus. Those homes, examples of the old Millionaires Row era of Pasadena, are now being sold to the public with the protections afforded by the Ross Grove landmark district.

Hit Counter