As you may recall from earlier updates here, we need to know what the city of Boulder will allow us to do with our property, including building something new or replacing or altering our aging, inefficient building. In Boulder, any building constructed in the 1960s or earlier must undergo “historic review” before its owners can make significant changes. The process required us to apply for a “demolition permit” (despite the fact that we’ve not gone anywhere near a decision to demolish anything), in order to kickstart the historic review. At the Nov. 20 Landmarks Board meeting, the board denied our demolition application, but the “stay of demolition” they issued now allows us to discuss landmarking options with the board and staff between now and March.

Demolition has never been our assumption, but we are aware that we have a chapel that can accommodate our current average Sunday attendance, and that our main sanctuary seats about five times our Sunday average. Our current facilities are aging and are not energy-efficient; maintenance alone costs $130,000 annually, and that doesn’t include the future expenses of replacing aging systems. We lack infrastructure, such as air conditioning and adequate audio/visual equipment to sustain robust gatherings for church and community in the future. But again, applying for a Landmarks Board Review does not imply we’ll do anything specifically with any part of our building. We’re just learning whether the City will allow us to alter or replace part (or all) of our building if that seems the best path to meet our long-term goals.

That’s what we’ll be exploring with the Landmarks officials between now and March. Ultimately, the Landmarks Board can make any of three different decisions regarding properties older than 50 years: (1) The board can designate the entire building a landmark (and prohibit removal or major changes); (2) It can declare no historical significance and issue a demolition permit; or (3) it can devise an middle-ground solution that would preserve part of the building. The Visioning Team is advocating the second option because it would maximize the development options we might explore with potential partners, but we’re also ready to work with the city an option #3 as well – with the goal also of maximizing our development options.

We can say that applying for a demolition permit is part of the complex, difficult research we need to do in order to make informed decisions – all with the goal of remaining as a church on Colorado Avenue for generations to come.

Yes, we received Landmarks Board permission, nearly 20 years ago, to demolish a derelict cottage on the southwest corner of our property, where today we have parking and a barbecue area. The application process took about a year from submission to final approval. That permit applied to the cottage only.

The Columbarium will always be at St. Aidan’s, and is part of our life as the communion of saints. Whatever happens in the future, the Columbarium will be on St. Aidan’s property and secure in a beautiful and holy location. We will likely lead with the Columbarium in any large-scale physical changes in years to come to ensure care for the families that have members in the Columbarium now.

Both firms were selected by the Vestry after competitive bidding processes.  The Discernment Committee carefully vetted all bids and determined that Trestle, and later DeSousa, were clearly the best fits — respecting our values and listening to our needs.  The committee enthusiastically recommended Trestle, and later DeSousa, to the Vestry, which approved both choices. 

On the contrary: For the last several fiscal years — even during the worst of the pandemic — we have grown our budget and finished each year in the black. At the same time, we have watched other churches, Episcopal and other denominations, close their doors due to lack of financial support. We are aware of a long-term trend (even at St. Aidan’s) of declining “plate and pledge” — contributions from our members, which comprise the parish’s largest category of budget support.  Plate and pledge now account for less than half of our annual revenue, and may well continue to decline. In 2024, 82 percent of our congregational giving came from members aged 60 or older.

We are fortunate to have a large parking lot to accommodate CU’s parking needs, which currently provides nearly 45% of our budget’s income.  But we can’t count on that source to shore up our budget over the long term  (especially as CU is planning large parking structures nearby).  Also, we do not consider “parking lot” to be one of the best ways for St. Aidan’s to live out its mission. 

All options remain possible at this early stage, but we’re keeping this in mind: We began discernment in the belief that if we do nothing, St. Aidan’s will be in a financial and property crisis within 20 years. We’ve seen too many parishes “stay the course” in hopes of a return to the robust, crowded churches of the 1960s and ‘70s, and that has not worked. We are honoring our history, appreciating our present, and envisioning our future, while we carefully discern how God is calling us to minister to our congregation, CU, Boulder and the world.