Should we stay on our current campus and renovate or acquire new property and build brand new? Many churches today are faced with this difficult question. The ramifications and implications are worth looking at. Here are some of the Pros and Cons of staying in your current location:
PROS
- You do not have to sell your current facility. This may sound like a no- brainer, however do not underestimate the potential difficulty of selling. Sell when you have the opportunity.
- By staying at the same location, you eliminate the possibility of splitting your church or alienating some of your congregants that do not want to consider the additional drive.
- It is cheaper. You can never replace the square footage that you currently have at the same price it was originally built for.
CONS
- The cost of acquiring more land (additional property) at your current location could be troublesome or even impossible. Remember that you not only need additional property for the actual building, but also for more parking.
- The energy efficiency of your old building is going to be much less than that of the new facility.
- It is important to consider the task of connecting the new building into the old building. A good architect will likely be able to effectively overcome this challenge by creatively incorporating some design elements from the old building into the new one. However, it can be quite a challenge.
- The location of your existing building might not be as appealing as it once was. Demographic changes, or the “Ghost Town” effect might require you to consider moving into an area with more relevant potential.
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