“Not Good Stewardship”: A Diocese Sells Its Prime Chicago Headquarters and Puts Proceeds Toward Housing

• The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago is selling its 30,000-square-foot headquarters at 65 E. Huron Street
• No floor of the five-storey building was fully occupied
• St James Cathedral next door will not be sold
• Part of the proceeds will fund affordable housing work

An Episcopal diocese has decided to sell its downtown headquarters after the pandemic showed how little it needed the space, The Living Church reported in September 2020.

The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago’s headquarters at 65 E. Huron Street is a five-storey, 30,000-square-foot building with an adjacent plaza, a few minutes from the Magnificent Mile. St James Cathedral, next door, is not part of the sale. No floor of the office building was fully used, and the pandemic had ended demand for the Nicholas Center retreat facility on the fifth floor.

“Put simply, maintaining an underused diocesan headquarters in an expensive building on prime real estate is not good stewardship of diocesan assets,” said Bishop Jeffrey D. Lee. “It’s a valuable piece of land.” He declined to estimate a price, saying the diocese had a broad sense of the range of values but that it would be foolish to speculate.

Courtney Reid said: “The building was built for a time when people had big offices for executives,” and added: “We’ve learned that we don’t need to be there nearly as often.” A meaningful portion of the proceeds is to support affordable housing, building on partnerships already under way at St Edmund’s and All Saints churches.

The decision reflects a wider rethink of church offices. Remote work has shown that many administrative buildings are larger than needed, and on valuable land that surplus space represents money that could serve mission instead.

Jamaican denominations and larger congregations with offices in expensive districts may want to review how much space they actually use. Selling or leasing surplus office space, or sharing with other ministries, can release funds. Directing part of any proceeds to housing or community needs, as Chicago plans, can also strengthen a church’s public witness.

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