While the concept of retrofitting isn’t new, we are seeing it gain traction and increasing popularity in the world of construction and church facilities. A large part of this is a very practical reason: time and cost savings. You can purchase and renovate a building for far less than it would cost for you to build one from the ground up, and many of the things that you need would already be in place such as city infrastructure, parking, and HVAC. Having these key elements already in place frees up your budget to be used to transform the space into a facility that meets both your practical needs and the vision of your church.
Let’s look at a couple of recently completed projects that are excellent examples of retrofitting.
Church on the Move’s Broken Arrow campus (COTM) was renting a performing arts center that they had more than outgrown when they were able to purchase a former gym in a shopping center which had been retrofitted from a grocery store. One of the most attractive things about this building to campus pastor, Ethan Vanse, was its location on the corner of the busiest intersection in Broken Arrow and right off a heavily traveled highway. Building a church in such a popular and already well-developed location would be impossible without retrofitting. On that project we were able to reuse things like light fixtures and plumbing to again save some practical costs to the church. COTM also included a fully functional coffee shop in their gathering space which they have rented to a local café to be used during the week, allowing them the opportunity to expand their community outreach beyond Sunday, but also allowing them to get past some zoning difficulties and provide sales tax income which was attractive to the city.
Fast Facts:
- Church on the Move BA Campus, Pastor Ethan Vanse
- A former gym/former grocery store in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
- 24,000 square feet retrofit renovation, 550 seat sanctuary, fully functional coffee shop and gathering space open to the community seven days a week, classroom space, offices, full children’s wing with indoor play space.
Forward City Church
Across the country in Columbia, South Carolina, Forward City Church was able to purchase a former Best Buy facility for less money than it would have cost just to do the sitework and parking lot on a new build. Pastor Travis Greene was able to transform the space into his ideal facility in less than a year, saving both time and expense in the process. Some of the original things in the building were reused to save costs on functionality and those funds were spent on the features the church needed, such as a recording studio and green room, state of the art Audio, Visual and Lighting systems, as well as the largest and highest indoor playground in the region for their children’s wing.
Pastor Travis has said that he will likely do another retrofitting project when the time comes, “That’s probably going to be my model, you avoid so many headaches and save so much money because the ground is already leveled. There’s already cement, which is crazy expensive. There are so many advantages to just literally going in with some sledgehammers and opening up the space so you can build it out how you want.”
Fast Facts:
- Forward City Church, Pastor Travis Greene
- A former Best Buy in Columbia, South Carolina
- 45,000 square feet retrofit renovation, 800 seat sanctuary, garage, storage, studio space, full children’s wing with indoor play space.
There are several factors we should consider when beginning a retrofitting project. Make sure that you, and your design build partner do your due diligence on these key areas to optimize success.
Location
Make sure that you have the building fully inspected and carefully consider the area, potential room for expansion and property value. Beware of a deal that’s too good to be true.
Local Zoning
Reach out to the city and make sure the zoning will permit a church facility at the location. While special permits can be obtained it will be easier and simpler to choose a location that doesn’t require the added challenge of zoning and permit problems.
Parking
Sufficient parking is key to a thriving and growing church. To avoid frustration and traffic problems on Sunday morning make sure that the building you consider either has sufficient parking, or room on the property site to expand the current parking capacity.
Condition and Structure
HVAC, the roof, additional plumbing, and foundation repairs, are all costly fixes and will add up quickly. Some of these might need to be addressed in your retrofitting process, just make sure that you count the cost ahead of time and account for it in the price of the project.
Budget
Counting the real cost before purchasing an existing building is crucial to success. Choosing the right building and design partner early in the process and bringing them along early in the process can help you to get all the information needed to make a good property selection and plan so that your new facility will be the right fit for your ministry.
Retrofitting might not be the best option for every church, or every location, but it can be an excellent solution for a church having trouble finding space in a highly developed area, or as a possibility for a church to save time and money in their church project.
About Churches by Daniels
At Churches by Daniels, our goal is to be available to pastors and churches to answer questions, provide free resources and education, and share with you the most current information we have so that your church facility can be designed, built, and continue to operate in a safe and effective way, freeing you up to spend your time doing ministry. Whether you have a question about retrofitting, options in your current facility, or are looking to renovate, expand, or build a new facility, we hope that you’ll choose Churches by Daniels.