Sale of General Synod offices completed

The Anglican Church of Canada’s governing body, General Synod, has completed the long-planned sale of its three-storey building in downtown Toronto, netting $3.65 million, and is moving ahead with plans for new headquarters.

The purchaser of the church property at 600 Jarvis Street was Philmor Group Ltd., a Toronto land developer which plans to build a mixed-use residential and office complex on a site that includes the General Synod building.

Phase I of the project, a 17-storey tower, is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2003, at which time General Synod will move its offices into four floors of the new building. At that point, the three-storey building at 600 Jarvis St. will be demolished to allow construction of Phase II, a building that will also house the Anglican Book Centre, the church’s nationally known bookstore.

The sale is not a result of the residential schools crisis and will have a neutral effect on church finances, which are severely strained, said General Secretary Jim Boyles. Hundreds of native people are suing the Anglican church over alleged and proven abuses suffered in a national boarding school system. The sale price received by General Synod will be used to purchase the new facilities – 40,000 square feet of office space.

“The outcome of the residential schools matter is far from resolved. In spite of this uncertainty, it is in everyone’s best interest that our church continue to plan for the future. We believe the church house redevelopment project represents an important vision of hope that we will be here to continue our work for years to come,” said Archdeacon Boyles.

Treasurer Jim Cullen said the move makes financial sense. “Our existing property was acquired in 1922. The last major upgrade was in 1962 and the property is now in need of major repairs. The renovations to bring the facilities to modern standards for nearly 100 employees would cost considerably more than to rebuild under this plan.”

The total sale price for the property was $9 million, of which $5.35 million went to St. Paul’s Anglican church, a church that abuts the property, is a co-owner and congregation separate from General Synod.

Plans for the redevelopment of the Anglican church offices have been in the works for years. Negotiations on the development project began in the 1980s, according to Archdeacon Boyles. An agreement covering the current transaction was signed in January, 1999.