Shared Space Inquiry LaGrave Christian Reformed Church Survey Housing, Health, Art, and Social Service Organizations

Purpose: LaGrave Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is exploring the potential for an adaptive reuse of the former Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church, a historic building it presently owns which is now vacant, located at 100 Sheldon SE, in Grand Rapids. The building is located within the Heartside Historic District and has been designated as a significant contributing resource within the historic district. This designation, under an existing local ordinance, will require that the exterior of the building be renovated and refurbished to preserve the architectural character and features of the original building while the interior spaces can be renovated to suit a variety of future uses as part of an adaptive reuse under the current building code. LaGrave Church is using this opportunity to explore ways to re-use the site to further its vision for ministries and programs that will meet future needs of their congregation and others who live in the neighborhood and larger community. LaGrave Church’s journey in this process began in 2017 when they purchased the building from the SDA congregation that had owned the property since 1934. Built in 1893 by Grand Rapids’ first Universalist congregation, the building served as their home until it was sold to the SDA. As part of the purchase agreement with LaGrave Church, the SDA continued to use the church building until 2021. The building was then stabilized by LaGrave Church to prevent further deterioration but has remained vacant since then while the LaGrave Church congregation has been engaged in a process of discernment for future use of the site.

This process of discernment has led the congregation to a plan that includes aspirations of new and expanded programs with community partners as well as ministries that will meet the needs for current and future members of the church. Late in 2024, Denny Sturtevant, the retired former CEO for Dwelling Place, was asked by the LaGrave Planning Committee to assist them in conducting outreach with local housing, health, arts, and social service organizations to assess potential interest in collaborating with LaGrave Church for development on the site. The congregation is hoping to identify opportunities, in partnership with one or more of these organizations, for development of the site with programs and services that might address critical neighborhood and community needs in alignment with the congregation’s interests and vision for use of the property.

The outreach process includes this initial survey of interest, which will be followed by a combination of one on one meetings and/or focus groups with interested groups, including an opportunity to tour the former church building. If you believe your organization might have some interest in learning more about this opportunity, please take the time to complete the survey and return it to Mr. Sturtevant. Mr. Sturtevant will then follow up with you and your organization shortly thereafter. We fully understand that most organizations wanting to know more about this opportunity are not likely to have all the answers to the questions being posed in the survey at this time. We also recognize that any engagement between your organization and LaGrave Church must be a two way process, offering you the opportunity and time to examine the site and to participate in a conversation with LaGrave Church in order that both organizations can determine if some form of collaboration or partnership is viable. Completing this survey is just a preliminary step to ascertain potential interest from the community. The following YouTube video link offers a virtual tour of the historic church building and its 1970s addition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEDUwG0xXTA