Old church in Louisville morphs into an entertainment complex

Many evangelical megachurches have already morphed into entertainment complexes while still ostensibly maintaining their identities as churches. In the case of mainline churches, declining membership and revenue increasingly lead them to abandon their properties. As reported by Maggie Menderski of the Louisville Courier Journal, December 18, 2018:

What was once a place of worship on E. Market Street is about to become an entertainment complex complete with two restaurants.

The old Market Street United Methodist Church in NuLu is in for a makeover.

The building, which was most recently home to The Refuge in Kentucky Church, sold to Weyland Ventures for $800,000 in February, according to a deed filed with the Jefferson County Clerks office.

Renderings filed with Louisville Metro late last month show the old church itself will be transformed into a dining room, a bar and a VIP lounge. There are also plans for a courtyard.

The gymnasium that’s already located on the south end of the building will be maintained and joined by a “sports court lounge.”

Weyland Ventures owners weren't immediately available Tuesday for comment.

The company has already restored the steeple, and it has plans to spruce up the exterior doors and stained glass windows, according to documents filed with Louisville Metro.

Weyland also has plans to build a neighboring two-story building that will hold a second restaurant, according to the documents.

See also my post: An example of a dead church morphing into a community centre (January 26, 2014)