August 29, 2018
Prestonsburg, KY. – For nearly 45 years, St. James Episcopal Church served as Big Sandy Community and Technical College’s (BSCTC) closest neighbor on its Prestonsburg Campus and served students and the community in many ways, from weekly soup kitchens to its Fishes and Loaves Food Pantry.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the St. James Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington would be selling the property. While the BSCTC community was saddened to lose a wonderful neighbor, the College is looking to the future and is excited about the opportunity to grow its Prestonsburg Campus.
St. James Episcopal Church, constructed in 1973 and renovated in 2003, is located on a corner lot of the Prestonsburg Campus, at E. Porter St. and University Drive. Though the College hoped to utilize the building in some capacity, during the inspection it was determined that in order to bring the building up to applicable codes and regulations, it would cost several hundred thousands of dollars for any type of occupancy. The College will soon begin the demolition, using a local contractor, and will look for ways to utilize the property for the benefit of the students and the community.
“With this property being adjacent to the college, we wanted to secure that location to provide more green space for the college property now and consideration for other use in the future,” said BSCTC President/CEO Dr. Sherry Zylka.
