Washington Park United Church of Christ sold its parking lot at 398 S. Williams St. this month for $2 million. (Matt Geiger/BusinessDen)
After nearly a century on South Williams Street, a Wash Park congregation is looking to find a new home.
“We’re selling all of our property,” said Tom Luehrs, 72, who serves on the leadership council of Washington Park United Church of Christ.
“The reason for that is that for many — if not all — churches, we’ve continued to diminish in terms of members, and we have a strong commitment to justice and equity and were really not using our church to its capacity,” he said.
The congregation at 400 S. Williams St. began that process last month, selling off a 9,400-square-foot parking lot across the street from the church for $2.25 million, or $239 a foot. The buyer was Park House Holdings LLC, run by Marshall and Mary Hayes. They declined to comment.
Now, congregants are turning their attention to the church building itself. Luehrs said they have identified a potential buyer, whom he declined to name, and hope to complete the sale by the end of the year.
Washington Park United Church of Christ plans to sell its main building as well. (Matt Geiger/BusinessDen)
The 12,000-square-foot church sits on 0.4 acres, technically split into two parcels. The land is zoned for a single unit with a maximum of two-and-a-half stories in height.
Luehrs said the congregation’s members will soon vote on leasing a space elsewhere in “central Denver” to continue operations.
“People do have feelings about leaving this place — this building, this space, where some of us raised our kids together,” Luehrs said. “Family members were buried out of this church. The church helped people get through difficult times. So, the church is the symbol of the community.”
Founded 98 years ago, the Wash Park congregation slowly grew over time, adding on to its building in the fifties. At its peak, between 100-200 people were members of the church.
“When I first came 30-plus years ago, it was probably 60-80 people on Sunday … we’re now around 30, give or take,” Luehrs said.
Luehrs has been living in Denver for 32 years, he said. Now retired, he recently stepped down as the executive director of the St. Francis Center in 2023. In that role, he took the group from a small ministry meeting the needs of a few hundred to a dynamic organization that serves over 10,000 people a year with employment, housing and other programming.
Washington Park United Church of Christ sold its parking lot at 398 S. Williams St. this month for $2 million. (Matt Geiger/BusinessDen)
After nearly a century on South Williams Street, a Wash Park congregation is looking to find a new home.
“We’re selling all of our property,” said Tom Luehrs, 72, who serves on the leadership council of Washington Park United Church of Christ.
“The reason for that is that for many — if not all — churches, we’ve continued to diminish in terms of members, and we have a strong commitment to justice and equity and were really not using our church to its capacity,” he said.
The congregation at 400 S. Williams St. began that process last month, selling off a 9,400-square-foot parking lot across the street from the church for $2.25 million, or $239 a foot. The buyer was Park House Holdings LLC, run by Marshall and Mary Hayes. They declined to comment.
Now, congregants are turning their attention to the church building itself. Luehrs said they have identified a potential buyer, whom he declined to name, and hope to complete the sale by the end of the year.
Washington Park United Church of Christ plans to sell its main building as well. (Matt Geiger/BusinessDen)
The 12,000-square-foot church sits on 0.4 acres, technically split into two parcels. The land is zoned for a single unit with a maximum of two-and-a-half stories in height.
Luehrs said the congregation’s members will soon vote on leasing a space elsewhere in “central Denver” to continue operations.
“People do have feelings about leaving this place — this building, this space, where some of us raised our kids together,” Luehrs said. “Family members were buried out of this church. The church helped people get through difficult times. So, the church is the symbol of the community.”
Founded 98 years ago, the Wash Park congregation slowly grew over time, adding on to its building in the fifties. At its peak, between 100-200 people were members of the church.
“When I first came 30-plus years ago, it was probably 60-80 people on Sunday … we’re now around 30, give or take,” Luehrs said.
Luehrs has been living in Denver for 32 years, he said. Now retired, he recently stepped down as the executive director of the St. Francis Center in 2023. In that role, he took the group from a small ministry meeting the needs of a few hundred to a dynamic organization that serves over 10,000 people a year with employment, housing and other programming.
