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This little church went to market

Shopping for a new place to worship? One area congregation has paid nearly $7.8-million for the old Winn-Dixie building.

By DONG-PHUONG NGUYEN
Published May 5, 2006

Church leaders closed on the old Winn-Dixie property at Bruce B. Downs and Cross Creek boulevards Monday for almost $7.8-million, which was below market value, said Pastor Brad White.

The church, which meets at the local YMCA, raised $1.8-million in cash in a whirlwind capital campaign in just 30 days, White said. Another $700,000 has been pledged, bringing the total to $2.5-million.

"We're just excited about it,'' he said. "We're going to be good to the community.''

LifePoint, which has about 1,500 members who attend at least once a month, started with just three people more than five years ago.

For the past couple of years, church leaders have been searching for a home. Winn-Dixie had opened on a busy stretch of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in 1995, but later faced competition from other supermarkets that opened nearby. The Hunter's Green store closed along with 40 other Winn-Dixies after the grocery chain filed for bankruptcy protection in February 2005.

Congregants credit White with securing the site, which some had hoped would become a bowling alley. White spoke to the owners about the church's plans to change lives, prompting them to set all other offers aside while negotiations took place.

The 47,000-square-foot building will be renovated to feature state-of-the-art youth and children's facilities, a worship area, and eventually a bookstore and a cafeteria.

The project is scheduled to take five to seven months, with a move-in date late this year.

If you have news about New Tampa, contact Dong-Phuong Nguyen at 813-269-5312.

[Last modified May 5, 2006, 08:33:39]