Prairie Bible Institute Building for the Future

April 28, 2005

Following an intensive period of strategic planning, Prairie Bible Institute has refocused itself by redefining its mission and expanding its educational scope to include the concept of a new vocational college. To facilitate this new focus the Institute has determined that it must make significant changes to the management and size of its facilities. Following a 24 month study, the Board of Directors of Prairie Bible Institute approved an overall facility plan that was created to see the Institute concentrate its future energies on a central campus core.

Currently Prairie Bible Institute owns 125 acres of land and 77 buildings within the Town limits of Three Hills. The majority of the buildings were built prior to 1950 and have little or no insulation and single pane windows. The combined utilities and maintenance on the buildings and land has recently approached a million dollars per year. “Our current physical plant places the realization of our mission at jeopardy” says Prairie president Dr. Jon Ohlhauser.

Looking towards the future Prairie has determined an immediate need to redefine the campus and to plan for the replacement of the obsolete buildings. At its April 2005 meetings, the Board of Directors for Prairie Bible Institute approved a plan which will see the Institute divest itself of non essential land and buildings and direct the funds from the sale to build a new multipurpose centre on the main campus core.  The Board believes that this plan will place Prairie in a much better position to accomplish its purpose.

One of the primary motivations for Prairie’s new Facility Plan is “operational reasonableness.”  Prairie’s current physical plant operation burdens the school with an unreasonably high annual utility and maintenance budget.  With the anticipation that energy and maintenance costs will continue to rise, Prairie’s Board of Directors concluded that it had to find effective ways to manage energy consumption.  By reducing Prairie’s operational commitment from 105,000 square feet of outdated building space to a 61,000 square foot new Maxwell Centre, Prairie will be much better positioned to have a reasonable operational burden. 

The new proposed Maxwell Centre will house a 1250 seat auditorium, teaching facilities for a new vocational college, a worship arts/drama training facility and a comprehensive business centre. Beyond the energy efficiencies and cost savings the new Maxwell Centre will significantly improve delivery of program instruction which in turn will allow the school to accomplish its purpose.