What to do with a church?
 

I have the opportunity to buy a church on 2.7 acres of ground. It is in decent shape, about 2500 square foot, with a walk-out basement (not included in footage). Includes all furnishings (newer pews, sound system, grand piano, etc.). Also includes another 1800 sq ft building that is newer and was used as a social center. The church has 2 bathrooms. Basement needs gutted and remodeled, but the main church is great shape. Holds about 200.

Was thinking of converting the community center to a music studio/museum/recording studio, and making the church into a concert venue by removing half the pews and adding round tables, and adding a small kitchenette/snack counter in the vestibule.

Thinking the basement could be rooms for workshops in art, music, sewing, etc.

There is a lot of ground in front of the church, and paved parking for 42 cars. Room for community gardens, or maybe farmer's markets??

Room in the back before you get to the woods to add a small home and garage so you could live on the property.

Any other ideas? Coffee and "jam" shop? Book club? Dance hall?

Remodel it into a house ?

Sounds like a great place for a pub.

private school? Church/bible meetings ? I would live in part of it like a parsonage, then use the rest to glorify God in some way.

What are the needs of the community? Find the niche that still needs to be filled.

I don't see it as a viable concert venue, not enough capacity. You would have to have high priced tickets for only 200 guests to cover the performers, insurance, staffing, BMI fees, etc.

Maybe doll up the chapel and make it into a venue for weddings/special events?

How many people in the town?

The requirements for "place of public assembly" can be daunting. Churches get somewhat of a pass, but a live theatre or movie theatre wouldn't. Before investing any money, talk with the fire marshal about the relevant codes and enforcement. You would also need liability insurance, push break doors (which are a security problem without a burglar alarm attached), and required fire alarm system.

If it were mine i would use it as a resale shop.

Some good ideas. Thanks!

It is in Medina, Ohio, which is the county seat. About 27,000 people in the town. (I got this from google.... I don't know the area very well).

I believe the church was still in operation as of early winter, and probably met all codes. It seems to have fire systems and alarm systems. I'm not sure how it met ADA, though... it has a ramp, but the bathrooms aren't accessible, I wouldn't think.

As for not being profitable as a concert venue, I think it could. We've hosted a lot of house concerts and put on two huge festivals a year (for the last 40 years) where we rent a fairgrounds so we know a lot of musicians. They are always looking for places to play when they are traveling, and are happy with the gate. They call us. And I don't care if *I* make money on it or not as long as I can promote the music and the band gets paid. Plus there are concessions which bring in a bit. BMI and ASCAP are a rip-off, but another necessary evil.

I think I'd rather do it more as a community center and small events. I like the wedding idea.

Exactly what I thought.

Yvonne, LOL. That could be kinda cool. A "Cheers" kind-of place. But that requires a daily commitment. I want to be able to do something maybe a few times a month. That's why I was thinking concerts, or jams, or educational workshops.

There is a HUGE open field in front of it, too. Community garden? I can see a huge formal garden there, too. Or places for farmer's markets. It is on a fairly busy street.

There is a really upscale bookstore in the town I currently live in that is a converted church. Very cool. Very "edgar allen poe-ish" with lofts and such. In fact, I think it is called the "Stately Raven" or something like that.

But, again, that requires a daily commitment.

A long time ago i had the nerve to walk in to the local bank and ask for a loan to buy a local church and 10 acres of land. Church had closed because of internal problems with the people who attended there. I had a brain storm to turn it into a goat farm and sell cheese and different types of wine. Looked real easy to turn the small church into a bar and grill, and convert the baptismnal into a small hot tub. It was about half way between two smallish towns. Not joking

LOL, Okie. That was the first thing I looked for...the baptism fount. Didn't see one. My old church had one built in UNDER the pulpit area. They lifted up a trap door. I always had nightmares as a youngster about falling in.

I really need to check into zoning and see if you can have chickens in that area. If I did community gardens, would love to have a chicken tractor. Plus, if I build a little cottage behind, I need my chickens. :)

There is an old church in Columbus that they have turned into a concert venue and it seems to be doing really well:

http://liveatthebluestone.com/

A friend bought a small decommissioned rural church and acreage 20 years ago for only about $45,000. After ripping out the parking lot and remodeling the building into a house , he ended up investing about $160,000 total on a one story 3500 square foot house with basement on almost 3 acres.

The only drawback is the cemetery that is 240 feet off to the side of his house.

He jokingly calls it his "Homeplaceland".

My husbands family bought a church, in Baltimore biggest problem them and still today was heating and cooling cost.

I thought about that, but it would cost me the same thing as a 2500 sq ft house, so I'm OK with that. And if I only used it occasionally, I could keep the heat/AC at a more energy-efficient (i.e.; cheap!) setting.

Oh man, that's WAY out of my league. Gorgeous, though!

There is an old church from the early 1900s here in Atlanta called The Tabernacle that was transformed into a concert venue, but its huge.
I think its about 3 or 4 stories tall. You have the main stage with a big open floor then about 3 more stories that line the back wall.

Its a pretty awesome place to see a show.
My first show there was The Foo Fighters


I think something small would be awesome.
You could have food trucks or some kind of concessions and turn it into a more family type atmosphere.

Our town does small concerts on the historic court house lawn every friday or saturday night during the the summer. They give people the option to buy VIP tables..
They have great turn outs.
If you do something like this you could always just rent spaces to vendors.
One person does ice cream, another funnel cakes, another has lemonade..
Things like that.

A farmers market is also a good idea.
The farmers market does really well here..

If you build it, they will come.

If I could just figure out what "IT" is.... :)

There are several churches in our area that have closed over the years.

There is one about 1 1/2 miles from me that hasn't been open for years. A couple bought it and have done absolutely nothing with it - they don't even come around anymore to mow the grass. It's actually kind of a disgrace to see such a building just slowly deteriorate.

I know of one church that had closed and a young couple bought it. They turned it into a 2 story house. When driving by, most people would never know it used to be a church.

I know of several other churches that were converted into duplexes or several apartments. That would be the route I would go - turn the building into as many apartments as possible and collect monthly rent for as long as you own it.

I don't think I can put people in it. It is zoned "multi-use" which is a combination commercial and/or industrial. Although there ARE residences nearby.... so I'm confused. I need to do some more snooping around.

I agree, it is a shame to let a beautiful building just fall to ruin.

I always wanted to have my own cult. Get religious status and you are tax exempt.

Here's a local venue that seats about 200 for concerts. http://www.thrasheroperahouse.com/th...ult.asp?p=home

We really enjoy the atmosphere and being able to see acts we might not have access to otherwise. If you already have some expertise in the entertainment realm it might work.

Usually zoning lets you use land up the scale to wards residences and ag but not down the scale towards heavy industry.

Around here, a building like that would be useful as a childrens' dance studio. Very few rules as compared to a daycare center, and if there is a liberal arts college nearby, your instructors could be girls from the theater arts/dance majors. Parents will pay good money to teach their children to dance and perform....... The stage area might be used as the performance theater, but it might be a stretch for coding...maybe not if it was used as a church.

geo

Good idea. I was thinking about a dance floor. Can't figure out how to get EVERYTHING in there that I want, however, in just 2500 sq ft. The pews are pretty permanent, I think, and can't be moved in and out. I believe they are fastened to the floor or I'd think they'd tip easily. Was thinking to move half of them out, and use the other half the area for moveable, round tables and chairs. But which half? Front/Back? Side?

I don't want this to be a gotta-make-money-and-run-it-weekly thing. I want it as just a something-fun-to-do-once-in-awhile thing. I'm sure that will change the zoning usage. I need to check with the commissioners, I guess. But first I need to have an idea of what I want. Maybe I need to make it look like I'm going to live in it (at least in the basement), so it will be considered a residence first. I live there - and throw big parties for friends. :)

Here are a few pics:
This is the outside, obviously. The building to the left is the "community center". It is shown in the last picture. Second picture is the sanctuary. Wall at the back on the left hides two bathrooms and handicapped entrance. Wall on back at the right hides the coatroom, and entrance to the basement.

I'd take all the pews out to make the space as flexible as possible. Setting up an outdoor stage and seating adds even more flexibility. With the kitchen downstairs doing some dinner theater type performances might work. Any local community performing groups looking for space? If the zoning works and the economics aren't that you have to actually make money, just not lose it, you'll probably find there are more people who will find a use than you can think of. I hate to even bring up renting it out as a wedding venue.

Unfortunately, that kitchen area and dining area are in the "community center" building and not the basement. The basement is currently divided up into small classrooms, and needs gutted and redone (water line break last year...ugh).

Would love to keep the community center building as a dining hall place, but that would be the reason we would consider buying the place...we need THAT building. We need it for instrument storage, music and recording studio space. No room for a kitchen, unfortunately. That's what has set off this whole chain of events...needing a space big enough to hold my newly-married-hubby's collection of instruments. We are still keeping two houses, just because mine isn't big enough for his instruments to be here, and his isn't big enough to add ME into the mix. Even though his is probably 1800 sq ft... there isn't even a bedroom!!!! I'd rather he just get rid of some "stuff", but that isn't going to happen. So I'm trying to make the best of it.

Even with no kitchen on sight I'd check with local caterers. They'd know a lot about what needs for space are going unmet.

My Grange rents it's hall to a small church group. Plus we have a selection of other groups that rent the hall for their meetings. Plus we have a monthly concert.

See if your area has any small church groups that need a place to rent.

Seems i heard a song once about a Resturant in a church.

The chapel is "blah". With the shape of the building I expected it to have a vaulted ceiling. What's up there? A second story?

Yeah, those stark white walls with the red seating sure has a "yikes!" factor to it.. lol

Not sure. There is an attic, now, but not sure if it can be opened back up.

I know it is "blah" and unattractive...but that is one reason it is so CHEAP. And that is all cosmetic. :)

Take the pews out and make a bowling alley

That looks like an old roof on the church. Does it need repair?