[Episcopal News Service] The Diocese of Central New York is planning to relocate its diocesan headquarters to a larger facility in Syracuse hat will expand its capacity to host meetings, house diocesan archives and foster ministry development.
The diocese, which spans New York’s midsection from the Canadian border to the Pennsylvania state line, is currently based in Liverpool, a Syracuse suburb. Its lease on the 3,500 square feet it occupies in an office park there expires in April 2027. Bishop DeDe Duncan Probe said in a message to the diocese that the search for a new location originated in conversations that date back to 2018.
“Our ability to remain connected and engaged is essential to the well-being of our parishes,” Duncan Probe said, but the Liverpool facility does not meet the diocese’s needs. “Without the empowerment of a central hub, we are missing the necessary support to stay connected.”
In June, diocesan leaders visited several potential new sites for the diocesan offices and agreed on a 6,000-square-foot facility that currently houses a podiatrist’s office and a law office and has a dedicated parking lot. The diocese made an offer of $400,000 and now is waiting for the purchase to be finalized.
“If the purchase is successful, we will renovate the space to meet the needs of the diocese with an eye to future potential. It is also our intention that this new Diocesan Center be as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible,” Duncan Probe said.
The diocese is able to use investment proceeds and revenue from the sale of closed churches to pay for the new property without raising congregations’ assessments, she said.
“I am grateful for the faithful work of our discernment team and all those who contributed to making this possible,” she said.