CUMBERLAND — Cumberland’s St. John United Church of Christ at the corner of old National Road (U.S. 40) and German Church Road is relocating and building a new church. It has been in discussions to sell its 5-acre site, which includes the church and two houses, to Giant Eagle.
In order to build a gas station and convenience store on the site, Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle has requested rezoning the property to a C-3 classification, which allows for commercial development, including gas stations. The Town of Cumberland, however, believes this is not the right zoning classification for this area. If the site were to be rezoned, the town believes a C-3C classification is more appropriate as it promotes a mix of retail, restaurant and other commercial uses and does not allow auto-oriented uses, such as gas stations.
“That intersection is the gateway to Cumberland,” said Andrew Klinger, Cumberland town manager. “We see greater potential uses that would create a sense of place and generate more tax revenue than another gas station. We fully support the church’s decision to move, and we’re not opposed to Giant Eagle, but we’d like to have them build their facility on a more appropriate site. This is the wrong location.”
Under Unigov, the consolidated city-county government adopted by Indianapolis in 1970, the City of Indianapolis controls all land-use issues on the Marion County side of Cumberland, including the fate of the church. The rezoning process starts with an examiner’s hearing at 1 p.m., Feb. 12 at the City-County Building, Public Assembly Room, 2nd Floor, Indianapolis.
For more than a century, the Gothic-style, red brick church—- with the original bell that immigrants brought with them from Germany — has stood at the corner of U.S. 40 and German Church Road. The church’s presence dates back to the late 1840s, when it was known as Deutsche Evangelische St. Johannes Kirche.
Klinger said town leaders want to retain the historic structure and convert it for uses such as a craft brewery, business incubator and/or wedding and event spaces.
“We’d like to work with the church to find a more suitable buyer,” he said, “one that would allow the church to get market value for its property while also allowing Cumberland to make the most of a key piece of property. The Town Council voted to hire a commercial real estate broker to explore options for the Town to purchase the church at market rate.”
Cumberland’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan — which the City of Indianapolis recently adopted — calls for a pedestrian-friendly streetscape that would be easily accessible from the Pennsy Trail, currently a 3-mile trail through Cumberland that the city is working to extend from German Church Road to Irvington. The plans further call for transit-oriented development along the corridor.
In addition, the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Long-Range Transportation Plan includes a Blue Line transit station near the corner.
Cumberland has come a long way in the past 15 years. From 1998 until 2001, the town was on Indiana Landmarks’ 10 Most Endangered Places in the state list because of an Indiana Department of Transportation plan to widen U.S. 40 through the heart of the town. The town was able to turn back that plan and spare the historic buildings and trees that are the heart of old Cumberland.
In the last six years, more than $19 million have been invested in community enhancements, including streetscape improvements along U.S. 40, the Pennsy Trail and other work that recaptures and maintains Cumberland’s historic small-town character.
The “Save German Church” on Facebook has received a lot of attention.