News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Funding was perhaps the biggest hurdle faced by Gutenberg College in its efforts to relocate from Eugene to Sisters - and it appears that that hurdle has tripped the college up.
In an email to concerned citizens, Gutenberg President David Crabtree announced: "Gutenberg College has decided to withdraw from the purchase agreement for the Weitech building in Sisters, Oregon.
"Gutenberg is not abandoning its effort to move to Sisters, but the fundraising effort is turning out to be more protracted than had been anticipated. The college is focusing on some short-term changes to improve its sustainability and the development of a more comprehensive business plan that will spell out to donors how their contributions will benefit the college. We continue to be hopeful, but, as we all know, the current economic conditions are difficult."
Gutenberg is a very small college that uses a "Great Books" approach to education, from a Christian perspective. Typically at 50 students, they are down to 27 due to the recession. There are seven full-time faculty and two part-time faculty. The majority of the seven support staff are Gutenberg graduates who donate their time.
The college sees Sisters' small size, vibrant arts community and strong sense of community identity as a major draw for
Gutenberg.
The college successfully navigated the land-use process in Sisters to allow it to move into the former Weitech, or Multnomah Publishing, facility. However, college officials said from the beginning it would take $2 million to purchase the building and perhaps another $1.5 million to ready it for students and to cover moving and other expenses.
Sisters economic development manager Mac Hay has not given up hope that the college can eventually make the move. He said Crabtree and building owner Stewart Weitzman are both eager to make a transaction work.
"They both want to make it happen, and I think it's just a matter of Gutenberg sitting down and coming up with a financial plan that will make it viable," Hay said.
Mayor Lon Kellstrom concurred:
"I hope it's just a delay and not a permanent problem."
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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