CHICAGO, IL (September 11, 2009) \u2013 The offices of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) will move to a new location next spring, it was announced today.
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\nThe new facility, located at 8303 West Higgins Road near the Cumberland exit of the Kennedy (I-90) Expressway, is near O\u2019Hare International Airport and approximately seven miles from the current location. It will house all Covenant offices that currently operate out of two separate locations, as well as National Covenant Properties and Covenant Trust Company.<\/p>\n
![\"Building\"](\"http:\/\/www.covchurch.org\/uploads\/6O\/V5\/6OV56xtXeMsJ_HVFnAGkLg\/Bldg---option.jpg\")
Relocation has been a priority for several years, notes President Gary Walter. One key consideration is the need to expand the Swedish Covenant Hospital campus, located adjacent to the ECC office building, which has been purchased by the hospital and will be razed as part of its master plan. Other factors include the size and functional deficiencies in the current 60-year old office structure.<\/p>\n
The new facility is better suited to today\u2019s technology requirements, is flexible in terms of interior layout, and is easily accessible to the airport and accommodations for those attending meetings.<\/p>\n
Purchase of the new building will have no impact on the ECC operating budget, Walter notes. Proceeds from the sale of the current facility combined with funds from the sale of a previous property created the resources for the purchase at a very favorable price in a down market, he notes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are grateful that God has provided a way for us to accommodate our ministry needs as well as those of the hospital,\u201d Walter says, \u201cand to be able to do so in a financially responsible way. Steve Dawson, president of National Covenant Properties, has been the head of the relocation efforts. He has done a remarkable job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Considering time needed for planning and renovation processes, a move date is projected for Spring 2010. A decommissioning service will be held at a later date to honor the decades of global ministry represented in the current building.<\/p>\n