by Dan-O 12 Replies latest jw experiences
I was talking with one of my brothers recently, and he commented on something he's noticed while travelling. He noticed that a lot of kingdom halls seem to be popping up in rural areas. I know that a town in the next county built one outside of town a couple of years ago, and the KH in my own town has a 'for sale' sign on the lawn. (Not sure if they built a new one outside of town or not, though. I haven't gone looking.)
Is there a trend towards moving halls outside of city limits?
If so, why?
I doubt it's because the farmers are becoming JWs.
The hall I was in moved about two years ago, and due to the price of the city land the only place we could afford to buy any was just outside a nearby town. Is this not another way to save money?
Land is probably cheaper in rural areas. If it was happening in Canada, I would say tax and urban fuel prices.
Yes, the rural halls are an economic phenomenon. Land in urban areas is skyrocketing. In places such as NYC and Chicago, multiple KHs are built because land nearby is so expensive. I have seen as many as 5 congregations meeting in a 3 hall complex on one lot, going up levels and down into the basement level. In the area I live in, one by one the old KHs have been sold and new ones built in the rural edge of the territory.
Blondie
This makes sense! Based on the attitude of the J-dud Masters in New York this puts the burden on the RF to work out the travel considerations. They sell off the more valuable land in the city, build a bigger Hall for that money in the country and make the RF figure out how to get to the meetings and in service. "Let them eat cake!" The old guys in Bethel could care less how the locals pay for the gas and handle the added travel time! Maverick
In our region, ALL the Halls are in the country. I've never seen one in a city. I thought they just liked their privacy.
I figured that the purchase price & construction costs would likely be less in a rural setting. My brother was speculating about other possible reasons. All the same, I hadn't noticed a 'trend', so I asked here. Thanks for the input.
Here in Canada, even school boards are looking at rural areas because land is alot cheaper, so it becomes more affordable to build. With costs so high now a days, it makes cents.
Jahna
I haven't noticed a trend, but the economic incentive/reasoning makes sense to me as well. I know of one double hall in Maryland that had 6 or 7 congregations attending there at the time I visited, including at least 2 DC congs. The KH is not right on the border. It's a few miles into Maryland near the Capital Beltway, if any are familiar with that.
