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King + King Architects selected to lead Conference center renovation
November 30, 2015 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The Upper New York Conference has selected the architectural firm it will be working with on the new Conference Center: King + King Architects. The firm is headquartered in Syracuse and will help the Conference as it renovates the property at 7481 Henry Clay Blvd. in Liverpool into the new Conference Center.
“The UNYAC Board of Trustees are delighted to have King + King Architects join us in renovating our new building slated for Conference offices and mission located on Henry Clay Boulevard,” said Pastor Barbara Brewer, chair of the Build Out Team. “King + King brings a depth of experience in program planning and architectural design. We look forward to celebrating the completion of our new offices.”
The Conference Board of Trustees was given the green light to purchase the one-story, 33,000-square-foot building during a special session of the Annual Conference on Oct. 18, 2014.
The original offer by the Board of Trustees would have secured the property for $895,000 with renovations expected to cost between $2 million and $2.5 million. The vote on Oct. 18 authorized spending up to $3.4 million on the purchase and renovations. However, negotiations this spring and summer between the Conference Board of Trustees and the property’s owners resulted in the reduced purchase price of $680,000 on July 8, which took more into consideration the property’s needed remediation.
King + King Architects was founded in 1868. According to its website, the firm has worked on several notable structures over the years in Syracuse, including the National Grid building, the Onondaga County Courthouse, and several projects on the Syracuse University campus, including Bird Library and Manley Fieldhouse.
“King + King Architects is honored to partner with the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church to design your new home on Henry Clay Boulevard,” said Chad Rogers, a partner at King + King Architects. “We are excited to help the Conference transform the new building into a place that best represents your vision, mission, values, and goals as an organization, while acting as a place to facilitate connection and communication with the Conference churches, members, and future members.”
The architecture firm’s 358 W. Jefferson St. headquarters in Syracuse was the first building in Onondaga County to achieve platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, the highest certification issued by the U.S. Green Building Council.