Wal Mart Churches

In the last few years I have seen a number of churches deciding to reuse existing buildings as an alternative to new construction. The majority of these have purchased an abandoned “Big Box” store such as a Wal Mart, Home Depot, or Ames. There are others who have purchased shopping centers, theaters, and office space. In my opinion this will continue to grow as a solution to affordable Ministry Space.

Some of the advantages to this approach include:

Reduced Site Improvement Cost- most if not all retail space has parking, storm water management and utilities in place.

Faster Delivery- it is often quicker to design, permit and construct a build out as opposed to new construction.

Reduced Cost- typically an empty building can be purchased for less than the cost to build it from the ground up.

Greater Flexibility- few if any of the interior walls will be load bearing in this type of building. This provides endless possibilities for interior changes as Ministry changes.

Although this is a great solution for some churches, it does have some limitations to consider:

A Box is a Box- it will be difficult and expensive to drastically alter the exterior appearance of the building if the church wants a traditional appearance .

Less expensive-Not Free- there will be definite cost savings when reusing an existing space but there will be costs. Too many churches convince themselves that money will not be an issue. Money is always an issue; I have yet to meet the church that has enough money to do everything it wants to do.

Maintenance- a commercial building will usually require a more knowledgeable facility staff. There are typically larger HVAC systems and larger electrical services. That combined with the overall size of the building will usually require a full time Facility Manager.

As a church plans to expand, this re-use of space needs to be considered as an option. There are many other points to consider and as with any potential building program; consult with a professional sooner rather than later. Asking questions early is much easier than having to back track or start over.