Remington's: from booze to Bibles

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by Clarissa French|ret||ret||tab|

SBJ Editor|ret||ret||tab|

cfrench@sbj.net|ret||ret||tab|

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Ridegecrest Baptist Church plans to become a two-campus ministry with a high-tech edge via the purchase of the former Remington's nightclub at 1655 W. Republic Road. The nightclub closed in late July. The Ridgecrest congregation voted Aug. 8 to purchase the Remington's complex, comprising a 33,333-square-foot building on 9.05 acres, including a 706-space parking lot.|ret||ret||tab|

And, according to Ridgecrest Pastor Hosea Bilyeu, the church will buy the property at a significant discount.|ret||ret||tab|

"The information that I have is the property appraised at $4.4 million, and our actual cash outlay will be $3.3 million," Bilyeu said. "I believe it is being structured in such a way that the remaining $1.1 million is considered a charitable donation by the folks that are selling that to us."|ret||ret||tab|

The deal, expected to close in four to six weeks, is really even sweeter than it sounds, according to Dave Murray, vice president of R.B. Murray Co. and listing/selling broker for Remington's owner Springfield Entertainment Inc.|ret||ret||tab|

The construction is clear-span, "which I think is one of the reasons it appeals greatly to the church. It allows the opportunity to do a multitude of things with the building. It offers more flexibility of floor plan design and use. If you want to have large meetings, you don't have someone staring around a pole," Murray said.|ret||ret||tab|

The value of the land alone is probably about $2.5 million, he added, and the tilt-up concrete construction would be more expensive today than the $57 per square foot it cost to build it in 1996-97.|ret||ret||tab|

Also, the building is packed with amenities. Besides a full-service kitchen, "It has a complete sound system throughout; public address systems. It has a very sophisticated alarm and fire suppression system in it. It's got built-in closed-circuit televisions throughout, big screens on the walls the building was sold with all the fixtures in place," Murray said. "That's a buy."|ret||ret||tab|

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Relationship building|ret||ret||tab|

Remington's is owned by Springfield Entertainment Inc., a Topeka, Kan.-based investment group headed by President Mark Mohan. Mohan declined to be interviewed for this article, referring questions to Murray and Bilyeu.|ret||ret||tab|

The deal grew out of an ongoing relationship between the church and Remington's owners, said Murray, who helped facilitate the relationship. For the past three or four years, "Remington's has been very courteous in allowing them to use the parking lot for overflow," he said. |ret||ret||tab|

Ridgecrest has been growing by more than 10 percent a year for the last 11 years, Bilyeu said, and church leaders were looking for expansion options.|ret||ret||tab|

"Twenty years ago when I came here, my first Sunday, there were 26 of us. Our attendance on Sunday morning in multiple services now is probably around 1,800," Bilyeu said.|ret||ret||tab|

Several months ago, Bilyeu called Mohan in Topeka, thanked him for the use of Remington's parking lot, and told Mohan that if the property ever became available, the church would be interested in purchasing it. |ret||ret||tab|

Mohan told Bilyeu that he was planning to sell the property, but was not ready to announce that publicly. |ret||ret||tab|

Time passed. Then, about two months ago, talk of a sale began in earnest, said Murray. |ret||ret||tab|

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Ridgecrest's plans|ret||ret||tab|

Bilyeu envisions the Remington's facility as the home of Ridgecrest's student ministry, which serves grades 7-12, a video venue for regular church services, and a location for community events and concerts that enhance Ridgecrest's outreach.|ret||ret||tab|

The video venue concept is new to Ridgecrest, but is a growing trend nationally. |ret||ret||tab|

"There's other churches in the country that are beginning to successfully use the video venue where the same pastor, by means of technology, actually preaches in several locations," Bilyeu said.|ret||ret||tab|

Sunday mornings at the Remingon's building would feature a worship experience under the leadership of Pastor Scott Brooks, who handles the student ministry, "then, when it comes time for the preaching, they will actually hear me by means of either a live video feed or by means of a tape that has been made of the (early) service here on this campus. So it would be the message of the same day, either received live or by means of a video or DVD."|ret||ret||tab|

Regarding community events, Bilyeu noted that KTTS radio has been in touch regarding its Christmas Crusade, which aids about 300 families and is short of space. KTTS would like to partner with Ridgecrest to bring the event to the Remington's bulding. |ret||ret||tab|

"That's not been decided, but it is an illustration of what truly is the desire of my heart that we could be doing some things that have a real positive benefit for our community," Bilyeu said.|ret||ret||tab|

"We also anticipate continuing to do some special events concerts, etc., some of which may not be per se Christian concerts, but good concerts that have positive values," he added. |ret||ret||tab|

A good example of that, he said, would be local group Big Smith, headed by Bilyeu's nephews, Mark and Jody Bilyeu. |ret||ret||tab|

Such events and concerts would also serve as outreach for the church.|ret||ret||tab|

"My hope, of course, would be (that events) would give our people an opportunity to get to know people that, perhaps at some point in their life, will be interested in things of a religious or spiritual nature and maybe think of Ridgecrest when they have that need because of that contact with us."|ret||ret||tab|

Naturally, the venue will be tobacco- and alcohol-free.|ret||ret||tab|

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Support|ret||ret||tab|

Whether the church will need a staff to manage the Remington's venue will depend on how aggressively it pursues events and concerts, Bilyeu said.|ret||ret||tab|

"We do concerts (at Ridgecrest) and we have some absolutely phenomenal people who, up to this point, have done that as part of their contribution to the life and work of our church in other words they do it free."|ret||ret||tab|

Those volunteers would step forward to do the same at Remington's, "However, if we determine that (concerts are) something we want to do regularly and consistently, then we probably will be looking at the possibility of some staffing to support that," he added.|ret||ret||tab|

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