city block dreaming

a few months ago, my husband and i were taking a walk before dinner at the avenue bar on the city’s eastside. we strolled past the recently closed fyfe’s corner bistro, peeking inside the windows to catch a glimpse of the restaurant we’d heard so much about but would never get to enjoy. and that’s when i caught the reflection of the building for lease across the ave.

i wish i had a picture to upload now but it’s essentially a block and a half of old warehouse/office space (if you have adobe flash player, you can see the street view here). the mullins group purchased it 5-6 years ago, but it’s been sitting relatively empty since then, with just their business using it as needed.

okay, so there’s no beating around the bush. i want it.

i wasn’t around when my home church chose to purchase property on the city’s westside and build 120,000 square feet of classroom, large group, and worship space. the building affords us lots of opportunity to invite people into our building, hear great sermons, and connect with a pretty excellent community of spiritually-engaged folks. but it’s this other building on east wash that has captured my attention, and - if i dwell on it long enough - might take my heart as well.

it’s in the perfect spot. not quite a mile and a half from the capitol, it sits along a very busy street in an area that seems ripe with possibility. it doesn’t hurt that my favorite city restaurant is a mere 4 blocks away either.

the description given by the mullins group reads “Exceptional 200,000 SF flex-space facility. Fully updated. Adaptable to large scale office and manufacturing uses. On-site parking. Highly visible, easy access to airport and interstate. Convenient for public transportation or biking. Close to shops and dining on Williamson Street.”

can you even imagine what you could do with 200,000 square feet of space? i can. but only because lawndale community church shaped a lot of how i envision the church reaching out to the “least of these.”

you can read more about the history of the church on their website, but don’t miss reading about their ministry affiliates (including Lawndale Christian Health Center, a community-based nonprofit organization, providing quality primary care services without regard for a patient’s ability to pay and serves as a community resource for eliminating health disparities, and the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation, bringing holistic revitalization to the lives and environments of Lawndale residents through economic empowerment, housing improvements, educational enrichments and community advocacy) or their Hope House, or the Firehouse Community Arts Center.

i resonate with that vision. just to think of all the things that are possible when you pray for god to show you how to love your community … wow.

so, while i’m dreaming, here’s what i’d welcome into the space at 1255-1345 east washington:

a worship space
a free medical facility, including dental services
a community kitchen (see SAME cafe or One World Cafe)
retail space for orgs like hope united
affordable community living space
and a pub/concert/gathering space.

now, if i just had $9,000,000 to purchase the building …

and maybe it won’t be this building, but why not pray for big things? maybe god wants to turn this city block dreaming into a city block reality.