This first appeared in The Salem News.

HAMILTON — The Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Hamilton announced Monday that it will soon put its 102-acre campus off Essex Street on the market and relocate to the Boston area.

The move comes as the school — which also has small campuses in Boston; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Jacksonville, Florida — has increasingly focused on developing online programs that serve students around the world.

The school said in an announcement of the plan that its intent is “to leverage the economic value of its main campus,” which according to town records has an assessed value of $54.3 million (assessments for tax purposes are typically lower than a property’s market value).

“This staged process includes selling significant portions, or all, of its 100-plus acre Hamilton campus and exploring facilities in the Metro Boston area,” the announcement said.

But who purchases the land — and for what purpose — will depend in large part on a request from the seminary to amend zoning, by putting the property within a commercial overlay district.

The Planning Board has included a discussion of the proposal on its agenda for Tuesday night’s meeting. The board noted the issue is simply a discussion of a draft and not a formal public hearing.

Town Manager Joseph Domelowicz said officials have been aware of the possibility that the seminary might want to sell all or part of its campus but had no specifics as to a timeline.

Any change to zoning would then have to be put on a Special Town Meeting warrant, which would not take place until the fall.

While the property is assessed at $54.3 million, Gordon-Conwell, as an educational institution, does not pay property taxes to the town. The school had entered a voluntary “payment in lieu of taxes,” or PILOT, program with the town some years ago, but hadn’t made PILOT payments in recent years, Domelowicz confirmed.

In its announcement, the school acknowledged that the decision comes as it looks at its long-term financial health, and the effect of campus and facility maintenance costs, at the same time more students are attending remotely.

“In light of changes in higher education which significantly include the use of technology for networked education, Gordon-Conwell has been actively re-evaluating its current campus needs in Hamilton,” the school said.

More than half (60%) of students enrolled in Hamilton live off-campus, and 88% of all the seminary’s students live off campus, according to Gordon-Conwell.

It is also seeking to strengthen bonds with Boston area churches and make the school more accessible.

In addition to cost savings from relocating, potentially to multiple neighborhoods in Boston, school officials say it would help the seminary “better tap into the cultural and Christian diversity of Boston.

Gordon-Conwell was created in 1969 as a result of a merger between the Gordon Divinity School and Conwell School of Theology. The merger was spearheaded by pioneering televangelist Rev. Billy Graham, Dr. Harold John Ockenga and philanthropist J. Howard Pew.

The school is considered nondenominational Christian and has more than 1,400 students around the world, including in China, Korea and multiple nations in Africa, according to its website.

The move is also being touted as an opportunity to better serve Boston-area students.

“Change has been a constant at Gordon-Conwell, from its origins in the basement of Temple Baptist Church in North Philadelphia and its sister institutions Boston Missionary Training Institute and Clarendon Street Church,” Gordon-Conwell president Scott Sunquist said in announcing the move. He called the school’s planned move to Boston “the latest in a long series of re-inventions” for the school.

The chairman of the school’s Board of Trustees, Bishop Claude Alexander, said the school’s mission hasn’t changed, only how it is met.

Courts reporter Julie Manganis can be reached at 978-338-2521, by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at @SNJulieManganis

ABOUT THE GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY:

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary combines a rich tradition with cutting-edge educational innovation. Rooted in the gospel and God’s Word, the seminary seeks to develop Christian leaders who are thoughtful, globally aware, spiritually mature, and ready for a broad array of ministries.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PIVOT TOWARDS A NEW BEGINNING:

Visit www.gcts.edu/pivot for FAQs, articles, and more.