Church plans $17M facility

Officials say Trinity is the ideal spot for the campus.

By JODIE TILLMAN, Times Staff Writer
Published October 30, 2007

TRINITY - Hospitals fought over it. Businesses like Starbucks, Bonefish Grill and Cork & Olive got a piece of it. Now this southwest Pasco hot spot has landed another kind of pricey development: a $17-million church.

First Christian Church of Tarpon Springs has proposed a new Trinity campus to include a worship auditorium that seats nearly 1,000 people as well as a cafe and Christian bookstore and meeting areas that could be used by community groups.

The project has not yet won all of its county permits, but officials of the 1,300-member church hope they can start construction in December and finish by spring 2009.

The 30-acre property is on the east side of Little Road, just south of Mitchell Ranch Boulevard and north of Trinity Boulevard. Across the street, under construction, is Trinity Town Center, an upscale shopping center that bills itself as Trinity's "Main Street."

First Christian is nondenominational and features contemporary services meant to appeal to a younger crowd. The auditorium, for instance, will feature a "performing arts" design, stadium-style seating and state-of-the-art sound, lighting and multimedia, church officials say.

"It's a very contemporary building with some pretty sophisticated technology," said Pastor Greg Johnson, a missionary in Kenya before joining First Christian five years ago.

The church's move will also mean a new name: Generations Christian Church at Trinity.

"One generation after another will worship in this place," Johnson said.

Why the move to Trinity? For some of the same strategic reasons that commercial developers have chosen it: A population of young families, professionals and retirees. Proximity to the Suncoast Parkway and to Pinellas County. Plus, officials say, many of their members already live in the Trinity and Palm Harbor areas.

"That area has exploded over the last four, five years," said Roy Erskine, church business administrator.

First Christian, which conducts three Sunday services, has been bursting at the seams at its current location on Keystone Road, officials say.

Parking has been a problem; the church, which has less than 200 spaces, has to bus worshippers in from off-site parking at a nearby strip mall.

By contrast, the Trinity campus will have nearly 2,000 parking spaces.

Of the project's $17-million price tag, First Christian has raised roughly $11-million: $8-million in pledges from individuals and $3-million in proceeds from the sale of its Tarpon Springs property, said Erskine. The church will borrow the rest.

First Christian isn't the first to propose a large church in the Trinity area. Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg also owns property in the area and hopes to one day build a 1,200- to 1,500-seat church with room for a school and senior housing.

Once it finishes the $17-million first phase, First Christian also plans to build an administrative wing, an adult worship center and sports fields in future phases over the next decade.

Jodie Tillman can be reached atjtillman@sptimes.com or 727 869-6247.

Fast facts

What will be built?

The first phase of Generations Christian Church at Trinity includes:

- A 20,000-square-foot worship auditorium.

- A 19,000-square-foot children's ministry building.

- An 11,000-square-foot worship facility and hangout for middle school and high school students.

- 160;10,000-square-foot cafe and bookstore.

Future phases include an administrative building and sports fields.

[Last modified October 29, 2007, 21:58:00]