(January 10, 2024) Pasadena Community Church has reached an agreement to sell two parcels of land to Onyx+East developers for $8.6 million. The purchase includes $3.7 million for the “soccer field” property and $4.9 million for the property that includes the current preschool building and Thrift Mall. The buyer plans to build free-standing homes on the soccer field property and adjoined residences on the property currently used by the preschool and thrift mall.
Building Oversight Committee Chairman Scott Russell said, “There is no doubt this a huge step forward in fulfilling PCC’s vision for the future, yet it is just one step of many before the sale closes. The committee was looking for a great partner to move forward with and we think we have found that in Onyx&East.”
It is important to note that property transactions like this take a lot more time than, for example, the sale of a home. “The Agreement for Purchase and Sale” is a document that starts the sales process. The buyer has up to a year to go through the inspection and approval process which is normal for such transactions.
That means it will likely take several months to “close” the sale. After the close, PCC will begin the process of renovating The Hamilton Building and moving the preschool to a renovated Life Enrichment Center that will be modified to create a first-class modern, safe and inviting preschool and playground.
Outgoing Pasadena Community Church Council Chairman Gary Butler said, “Nearly two years ago, we set out to reimagine the Pasadena Community Church campus and buildings. We sought to honor and keep true to our nearly century-old heritage while still adapting to the needs and desires of current and future generations. Entering into this agreement with Onyx+East is another significant and successful step in that journey. I believe I speak for all of the Church Council in expressing our deep appreciation to those who have spent hundreds of hours getting us to this important stage of the journey. I am impressed with the work we have done so far and am excited about where we will go from here.”
About the buyer
Onyx+East was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and has built or has under construction 30 communities (900 units) in Indianapolis, Carmel, IN, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio.
The company has projects in Indiana, Florida and Ohio. You can explore those projects by clicking on the links.
The Building Oversight Committee considered many offers for the property but chose Onyx&East for several reasons, including the fact that was among the highest bids for the property. Committee members also considered the proposal to fit the neighborhood more closely than some builders proposed.
The PCC Building Oversight Committee conducted a detailed background check on Onyx+ East including interviews with five realtors, brokers, an engineer and a city official who all have worked with Onyx+East in the past. The reviews were glowing. Previous partners praised the company’s financial security and open communication and praised the company for avoiding cookie-cutter designs, instead adapting to existing neighborhoods.
Alan Daoud, a broker who worked on a Hillsborough project with Onyx+East told PCC, “They are a strong company but because of their size they have flexibility. They have closed on every project I have been involved with on time or before. I see them following through on their deals because they do so much work on the front end.” He added, “One thing I like about Onyx+East is they have the ability to adapt their projects and product types to the community they are fitting into. They have the ability to alter their building types in ways big builders don’t. You will see brick in one place and then something else, more modern somewhere else, like the one in St. Pete. At Tampa Heights, they built free-standing million-dollar traditional homes.”
What will Onyx+East build on the property?
Some bidders proposed multi-story properties that would have required zoning changes and likely would have upset neighbors. The Onyx+East proposal was the plan that included the fewest residences made by bidders. The precise number of homes will be determined during the review process. The proposal as it stands today, would include free-standing homes on the “soccer field” parcel and the school/thrift store property is proposed to be developed into attached homes, Onyx+East says.
Pasadena Community Church Executive co-pastor Rev. Gary Logan said:
Pasadena Community Church has been a pillar of our community for almost one hundred years. As times changed, the church adapted. This is still true today. The sale of these properties allows us to continue to be the difference in the world through our missions and ministries. Adjusting the size of our campus gives us an opportunity to be more efficient stewards of the legacy we have been given. This change also allows us to create new and exciting spaces for learning and growing together as a church and as a school. In the new modern, comfortable, and accessible preschool space we will provide some of the best preschool education in the area and continue to build the legacy that will be passed down from generation to generation.
What happens next?
Once the property sale “closes” the church can hire an architect to design the renovation plans. That is when we will have a better idea of what we can afford to accomplish in the renovation of the Hamilton building and the LEC and we will get a better idea of what money will be available to improve access and sound in the sanctuary.
It is especially important to remember that nothing will happen quickly in this process. Before money changes hands, before dirt movers get rolling, a lot of work remains including reviews from city officials and the buyers have to access the property then design plans that fit the property. Even if the process moves quickly, the renovations that would be necessary for the preschool to move would not likely be completed until mid-2025.
Why is PCC selling the property?
The sale of the property that church members overwhelmingly approved in 2022, will allow Pasadena Community Church to renovate the Hamilton Building, move the preschool to a renovated Life Enrichment Center building and reduce the costs of maintaining aging buildings.
Pasadena Community Church Senior co-pastor Rev. Nicole Logan said:
We are so excited to finally take the next steps on our journey to right-size our campus and live into our vision. This forward momentum will ultimately give us room to gather and to grow, as we deepen our family roots and spread our community branches. Our renovated and reimagined buildings will help us to truly welcome all to believe, belong, become, and be the difference, both inside and outside the walls of our church. We look forward to writing the next 100 years of Pasadena Community Church’s history by offering a place to worship, connect, grow, and serve- one that is inviting and hospitable, safe and accessible, vibrant and engaging. This sale, and ensuing project, is an investment in the spaces, and, most especially, in the people in those spaces, who give us opportunities to reflect and encounter Christ.”
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