Chesterton
Montessori School is seeking to purchase the Methodist Activity Center, at
135 Lincoln Ave., from the Chesterton First United Methodist Church (CFUMC).
CFUMC Senior Pastor
Heather Foley told the Chesterton Tribune after deadline on Thursday
that the new owner of the Montessori School, Haresh Prithyani, approached
the church earlier this year to express an interest initially in renting the
MAC.
CFUMC’s Board of
Trustees subsequently entered discussions with Prithyani, Foley said, and at
some point the focus of those talks moved from the rental of the MAC to the
possible sale and purchase of the property. On April 8 the Church Leadership
Council formally voted to pursue the sale of the MAC to the Montessori
School.
Nothing has yet
been finalized, Foley added, but the Montessori School’s use of the MAC
would certainly be in keeping with one of the historical missions of
Methodism. “Education has definitely been a facet of what Methodism has
always been about,” she said. “We’re hoping that whatever happens will be a
win-win for our church, for the Montessori School, and for the community.”
According to the
Montessori School’s website, Prithyani is hopeful of closing on the purchase
of the MAC sometime early in May, after which renovations would begin on the
building. “We will be transforming it into our new beautiful school,” the
website said, with open houses to be held later this summer.
The MAC was the
original home of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, which on moving to its new
location, at 2050 W. 1100N, sold the property to CFUMC. It subsequently
became the original home as well of the Duneland Unit of the Boys and Girls
Club of Porter County, before it too moved to a new facility, at 521 W.
1100N. The MAC has also been used for youth group activities and other
community events.