J. K. Warrick, chair of the Board of General Superintendents (BGS), and Marilyn J. McCool, general treasurer, Church of the Nazarene, announced the sale of the International Center at 6401 The Paseo, Kansas City, Missouri, USA, to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation also of Kansas City.

The purchase price of US$2.7 million includes 13-acres (5.2 hectares) and four remaining buildings. The sale of the Ministries Building closed in 2008. Closing on the Paseo property was June 6, 2011.  

The BGS and General Board previously designated all Paseo proceeds to be part of the Global Ministry Center debt retirement. The sale also provides significant savings on the property's upkeep, taxes, and deferred maintenance.  

The Paseo property was put on the market before the General Board departments and ministries of the 2 million member church moved into the GMC at 17001 Prairie Star Parkway, Lenexa, Kansas, USA, in September of 2008.  

Coinciding with this transaction The Kauffman Foundation announced that 63rd Street and The Paseo will become the permanent location for the newEwing Marion Kauffman School. 

An official statement from The Kauffman Foundation underscored that "the opportunity to create a campus environment was a critical component in the site selection for the charter school, as this location will enable the Kauffman School to educate more than 1,000 middle and high school students at a single location."

The site was selected following an extensive search of suitable properties located in Kansas City's urban core.

"This announcement represents not only the next stage in development of the Kauffman School, but also the Kauffman Foundation's continued commitment to the future of Kansas City," said Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.  

"We are very pleased that the permanent home of the Kauffman School will be located squarely in the urban core. There is no more important investment we can make than the education and development of the next generation of citizens and leaders in our community," Schramm added.

The Kauffman School will open with its first class of fifth-graders in August 2011. 

"Having this property used as a place of learning is an important legacy for the Church of the Nazarene as education is an essential part of who we are. To have The Kauffman Foundation invest in the lives of children is a mission of its own," noted Warrick. 

"Coming a few days after the General Board paid off the debt on the Global Ministry Center, the sale of Nazarene Headquarters at The Paseo, our location for more than a half-century, is yet another answer to prayer," he emphasized.

McCool, who led negotiations for the denomination, said, "We are so pleased to know this site will be the new home of the Kauffman School, as we believe there would be no greater service than to educate Kansas City's children from the urban core on this campus. 

"The leadership of the Global Ministry Center is delighted that Zimmer Real Estate Services was able to connect us with a quality organization like The Kauffman Foundation. Special thanks to Debra Field, vice-president at Zimmer, for helping ensure the campus will contribute to the growth of this community."

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private nonpartisan foundation that works to harness the power of entrepreneurship and innovation to grow economies and improve human welfare, according to Foundation officials.

The Foundation also focuses on initiatives in the Kansas City region to advance students' math and science skills, and improve the educational achievement of urban students.

Founded by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman, the Foundation has approximately US$2 billion in assets.
--Board of General Superintendents