Executive Board & Standing Committee retain services of Harvey Lindsay Corporate Real Estate Services to address Talbot Hall property (Posted August 15, 2012)

The Executive Board and Standing Committee of the Diocese have retained Harvey Lindsay Corporate Real Estate Services to address the Talbot Hall property. The proposal by the Harvey Lindsay group is in three parts beginning with an emphasis on historic preservation, appraisal and ending with the marketing of the premises. The firm will also serve as a consultant in the selection of a site for the new administrative offices of the Diocese.

After thorough research and consideration, the Conveyance and Location sub-committees of the Executive Board's Property Committee recommended the engagement of Harvey Lindsay Corporate Real Estate Services. Harvey Lindsay Corporate Real Estate is a highly respected Norfolk firm that has provided real estate services to the Hampton Roads region for over 70 years. Mr. Lindsay, the company's current chairman is a long-time member of Church of the Good Shepherd in Norfolk. His relationship with the Episcopal Church in Southern Virginia uniquely qualifies his firm to handle the marketing of the property with sensitivity, understanding the special affection that the members of the Diocese and others throughout the community have come to have for the Talbot Hall property, and with a desire to honor the original gift of the Talbot family.

In accordance with the resolution passed at Annual Council, 2012, historic protection of the Talbot Hall manor house, preservation of the property's shoreline, and respect for the surrounding neighborhood will be taken into consideration. The decision regarding the disposition of the property will be made only after careful consideration by each of the more than thirty members of the Executive Board and the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Southern Virginia who are committed to follow the intent of that resolution.


 

Preservation Virginia calls Talbot Hall endangered (Posted May 7, 2012)

On May 7, 2012, Preservation Virginia will issue a list of sites across the Commonwealth that face threats which would detract from their historic integrity. It is our understanding that one of the sites included on this year's list may be Talbot Hall.

If this is the case, Preservation Virginia will have made this decision without full knowledge of the facts surrounding the potential disposition of the property.

In a response to Preservation Virginia, Bishop Hollerith has made it clear that as the faithful duly-elected leaders of the Diocese of Southern Virginia consider the conveyance of the property for future use, they are being extremely careful to assure the preservation, and hopefully restoration, of the historic house. Indeed, the resolution passed at the Council of the Diocese of Southern Virginia in February specifies that the preservation of the historic house will be a primary consideration in its disposition. The decision regarding the disposition of the property will be made only after careful consideration by each of the more than thirty members of the Executive Board and the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Southern Virginia who are committed to follow the intent of that resolution.

The 34,000 people of the Diocese of Southern Virginia have been good and faithful stewards of the Talbot Hall manor house within the limits of our financial ability for more than 50 years. It is our intent to be nothing less than good and faithful stewards of this house as we consider its future disposition.

Council passes Resolution R-3 (Posted February 12, 2012)

The Executive Board and Standing Committees submitted a resolution to the 120th Annual Council seeking the support of their already existing canonical authority to make decisions about Talbot Hall and the possible relocation of our diocesan center. That resolution, R-3, was passed by Council on Saturday, February 11. The text of the resolution is available here.

Report from Talbot Hall Sub-committees (Posted January 6, 2012)

The Talbot Hall Property sub-committees (Conveyance Committee and Location Committee) held a joint meeting on January 5. The committees are engaged in continuing the process of discerning the future of the Talbot Hall property and the location of the diocesan offices.

What’s happened so far?

In April 2011, the Talbot Hall Task Force - charged by the diocesan Property Committee and Bishop Hollerith to receive and recommend proposals regarding the property - concluded its work and made its report to the diocesan Property Committee. After reviewing that report, along with prior property assessments, the Properties Committee voted to recommend to the Executive Board the sale of the Talbot Hall property and the relocation of the diocesan offices to a more demographically central location. This recommendation was presented at the Executive Board's June 2011 meeting.

In response, an ad hoc committee of the Executive Board was then appointed to determine what further information was needed in order to move forward. The committee reported its findings to the Executive Board at its September 2011 meeting. The following resolution was approved: "Be It Resolved that the Executive Board authorizes the Properties Committee to explore* the sale of Talbot Hall and to explore* the most feasible location for the Diocesan Office, continuing to respect the neighbors of Talbot Hall and the history of the property." In response to the resolution, the Executive Board established two new sub-committees, a Conveyance Committee and a Location Committee, to gather further information.

The Talbot Hall Property sub-committees held an initial joint meeting on October 26, 2011. Bishop Hollerith attended this meeting of the Conveyance and Location sub-committees and gave an overview of the historic functions of the Talbot Hall property, in this order of priority: to supply the administrative offices; to provide housing for the Bishop and one staff person; and to provide a diocesan conference center. The sub-committees were charged to gather information and make recommendations to the Executive Board regarding how these needs can best be met.

Where are we in the process?

The committees are now in the process of gathering information. In order to move forward, the Executive Board and Standing Committees have submitted a resolution to the 120th Annual Council which seeks support of their already existing canonical authority to make decisions about Talbot Hall and the possible relocation of our diocesan center. The full text of the resolution will be available in the delegate packets distributed prior to Pre-Council Convocation meetings.

*Exploring the possible sale of the property will include inquiries into: cost effectiveness, cost comparisons, diocesan demographics, possible locations - including the present location at Talbot Hall, facility use requirements, input from various regions of the Diocese, and other data.