By Brenna R. Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HEBRON - Negotiations took more than two years, but Hebron Baptist Church has agreed to sell its building to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport for $3.2 million.

The Petersburg Road building sits in the path of a planned new north/south runway.

"We are very pleased," said Pastor Gayle Toole. "They came to realize our needs and we negotiated."

The church and airport, which had been negotiating since October 2000, closed the sale March 26, said airport spokesman Ted Bushelman.

The airport plans to break ground next month on the 8,000-foot north-south runway on the airport's west side. The $250 million project, which includes a 2,000-foot extension to the existing east-west runway, should be completed by December 2005.

The airport bought 220 homes and the church to make way for the runway. A portion of Ky. 20 will also be moved.

The last service in Hebron Baptist will be June 29. The airport plans to tear down the 36-year-old church in July, Bushelman said.

The 200-member congregation plans to build a church on North Bend Road at Cougar Path Road . The new Hebron Baptist Church should be finished by May 2004, Toole said. Until then, the congregation will meet in the airport's old airmail building.

"We're all a little sad to leave this building," Toole said, "but we knew we had to go."

E-mail bkelly@enquirer.com