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Post by Sly Fox on Jul 1, 2005 9:52:57 GMT -5
From the News & Daily Advance: Liberty buys back mountain Ron Brown rbrown@newsadvance.com Friday, July 1, 2005 Liberty University on Thursday completed a nearly 2,000-acre land deal, a possible first step in changing the name of Candlers Mountain to Liberty Mountain. The $4.25 million purchase gives the school control of all but about 26 acres of the mountain’s property. With the purchase, LU now controls just over 4,300 acres of continuous land stretching from U.S. 29 at Wards Road to nearly Campbell Avenue along the U.S. 460 corridor. “We always considered the mountain as a part of our campus,” said Jerry Falwell Jr., the school’s vice chancellor. “It is important for the future growth of the university.” The Rev. Jerry Falwell, the school’s founder, has referred to Candlers Mountain as Liberty Mountain for years. “I’m very interested in changing the name to Liberty Mountain,” he said. “We now own it and plan on putting a university up there.” In order to officially change the mountain’s name, LU would have to get the blessing of U.S. Board on Geographical Names, which is responsible for standardizing geographical names throughout the federal government. A Web site for U.S. Geological Survey, the board’s parent organization, said name changes generally conform “to local use and acceptance.” “One can propose to change the name of a feature, but there must be a compelling reason,” the Web site said. “We’ll do whatever it takes to rename the mountain,” Falwell Jr. said. LU has held an option to buy the land since 2001, when a company, associated with LU Board of Trustees member Jeff Yager, bought the land. LU had sold the land to a subsidiary of an insurance company in the early 1990s as part of a debt settlement plan. The subsidiary tried unsuccessfully to develop the land before selling it to IRP LLC, Yager’s company. Falwell said the purchase of the mountain was one of many financial housekeeping items completed as the university ends its fiscal year. He said Jerry Falwell Ministries paid off about $2 million of debt. He said the ministries earlier this year paid off $1.7 million it owed to Earl Schilling, a creditor. “These are indicators that ministries and the university are in a much better financial condition that they were even five years ago,” Falwell said. www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=LNA/MGArticle/LNA_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031783602078&path=______________________________________________ What do you think? |
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Post by HarrisburgFlame on Jul 1, 2005 11:15:35 GMT -5
I think this is great. I hope we reach the point where finishing projects and cash flow won't always be a challenge. It's been that way since 1971 but through the grace of God it always gets done.
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Post by LUconn on Jul 1, 2005 11:32:55 GMT -5
Next on the list:
Buy Liberty Village and bulldoze it.
It's looking like the school is going to get quite large, especially the campus size. It's bad enough we have LCA pretty much on campus, but a retirement home right there? You can pretty much live every phase of your life on campus I guess.
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Post by ATrain on Jul 1, 2005 12:06:27 GMT -5
LUConn...don't worry bout Liberty Village...the company that organized the project is bankrupt so I doubt any of us will ever retire there. After the Ice Rink and Football building get built (don't worry, I haven't forgotten that I promised pics of both construction sites...I've just forgotten my camera) I hear there's talk of new dorms behind the Wingate. I think over the next few years we'll see many exciting new developments on campus...almost makes me even sadder that I'm graduating in two years.
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Post by HarrisburgFlame on Jul 1, 2005 12:12:56 GMT -5
Maybe we can find another developer for Liberty Village and the existing strcutures can be completed to house faculty and staff as needed.
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Post by Sly Fox on Jul 1, 2005 13:17:24 GMT -5
The financial recovery is the part of the story that is the highlight for me. H-Burg, PAmedic, Scar and myself were among those on campus when the place nearly folded int he Late '80s after the Televangelist scandals of the Bakkers & Swaggart. To see them get to a point where they are actually in a land acquisition stage is impressive to me.
Now whether or not any of this property is development-worthy is another story. A good chunk of our is far too steep and inaccesible to do much anytime soon.
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Post by HarrisburgFlame on Jul 1, 2005 13:22:12 GMT -5
Agreed Sly. I lived through the "we're going to Atlanta thing", money is running out, 6 guys in a dorm, etc. The cool thing is that the first few waves of alums are out in the world and hopefully can start to give back. Donations to date have been friends of the ministry and God willing that will continue. but where I hope to see the really increase is in alumni contributions. we all have to keep in mind - this school is only 34 years old!
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Post by bigsmooth on Jul 1, 2005 14:25:29 GMT -5
i would like to find a developer and finish liberty village, and build the university golf club...just an idea the last time i drove up there, i had that vision...but no kaysh! central virginia could use a really nice golf course, and i feel it is a great location.
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Post by LUconn on Jul 1, 2005 14:35:21 GMT -5
Poplar Grove says Hi. www.poplargrovegolf.comSam Snead's final golf course design. I've been to and it is sweet. From what I understand the green fees are a bargain. |
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Post by LUconn on Jul 1, 2005 14:39:58 GMT -5
and by the way Atrain. I took my mom on a tour of Liberty Village and way in the back there's like 5 houses and I think 2 of them are occupied. So they gotta do something with the place. I don't know if kicking them out is an option.
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Post by bigsmooth on Jul 1, 2005 14:41:29 GMT -5
poplar grove is nice, a good friend of mine started that development. the best course in the area
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Post by thesportscritic on Jul 1, 2005 15:52:00 GMT -5
To God be the glory. That is great. God us using Jerry Falwell Ministries and the school in a great way.
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Post by Sly Fox on Jul 1, 2005 18:26:53 GMT -5
Its funny you guys should mention a golf course associated with the mountain. That's exactly what iw as thinking about up on top of the mountain. THe views alone would make it a top notch attraction. But I know from an engineering standpoint, it would be a brutal to build.
As for Polar Grove, Sam Snead's has probably seen the property once ... the day it opened. But it looks like a nice track nonetheless. I was always amazed when I was in school by the lack of golfing options in Central Virginia. The landscape is a perfect setting for a quality 18.
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Post by HarrisburgFlame on Jul 1, 2005 19:24:05 GMT -5
I think we are on to something here. Golf course would be perfect up there. It is beautiful up on that mountain!
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Post by ATrain on Jul 1, 2005 19:34:34 GMT -5
There were actually plans for a driving range on East Campus...as well as a carwash (though to date we're wondering when our weight room will be finished). Maybe a golf course would work...its a nice area for one.
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aLUmnus
Full Member
old school LU
Posts: 192
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Post by aLUmnus on Jul 2, 2005 11:30:51 GMT -5
The land that Liberty Village sits on is almost ideal for a golf course, they would just need to knock a bunch of buildings down and plant lots of trees. I also thought of using it for faculty/married student housing. Who really knows at this point.
But really, the stretch from Wards Road to Campbell Avenue is HUGE, with nothing but trees. And depending on future developement, could be very valuable in the future, being right along that highway.
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Post by HarrisburgFlame on Jul 2, 2005 13:01:35 GMT -5
My sense is they will find a purpose for Liberty Village. I happen to like the location. No need to rush anything until the right answer presents itself.
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Post by PAmedic on Jul 3, 2005 22:10:21 GMT -5
I'll come down for 18 if you guys can stand playing w/ a leftie (of course- I gotta be different) who has never broken 90. I do hold the long-distance-putter-throwing title in my foursome though. Very proud moment for me.
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Post by El Scorcho on Jul 4, 2005 20:52:48 GMT -5
Just FYI, while the school didn't technically own the land that we just purchased, a board member has owned it since we sold it all off. Yes, we used to own it and no, there was no guarantee we'd ever be in the position to buy it back. However, that's obviously what the plan was. Happy to have it, but it's really not the big news the local media has played it up as.
Also, I think a new developer for Liberty Village has already been found. I'll have to get back to you guys on that one.
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Post by PAmedic on Jul 5, 2005 0:30:49 GMT -5
Welcome back Scorcho.
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aLUmnus
Full Member
old school LU
Posts: 192
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Post by aLUmnus on Jul 5, 2005 7:04:42 GMT -5
Actually, the media didn't really play it up as real big news. If you read the article, it seems that the main story is how the mountain might be renamed, and not so much that Liberty bought it and how it might affect the school and community. That's great journalism, isn't it.
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Post by HarrisburgFlame on Jul 5, 2005 14:01:25 GMT -5
The N&A has been a joke for over 30 years. Why would we expect any different now?
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Post by Sly Fox on Jul 5, 2005 16:40:07 GMT -5
Its a fishwrap, plain & simple. Television and the internet are where you should turn for media coverage. Unless you are in Lynchburg amd it appears the web is your only option.
Speaking of the media, whatever happened to our radio friend Ed Dantes?
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Post by El Scorcho on Jul 5, 2005 19:57:04 GMT -5
Actually, the media didn't really play it up as real big news. That depends on which media outlet you're talking about. WSET ran it as their lead story for three broadcasts. They definitely played it up. |
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Post by HarrisburgFlame on Jul 6, 2005 13:19:33 GMT -5
WSET sports seems to be friendly to LU. The N&A has traditionally treated LU like a redheaded Texan - I mean stepchild.
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Post by PAmedic on Jul 6, 2005 20:16:46 GMT -5
Redheaded Texan- now thats good. I gotta steal that one day. And I wondered where EDDANTES has been as well, miss that god awful avaitar of his- sniff sniff
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