A global megachurch best known for attracting millennials with an upbeat message is calling on its members to become 鈥渧ision builders鈥 by making a 12-month commitment to help with its development plans for a building on Geary Avenue, home to trendy breweries, restaurants and art galleries.
C3 Toronto, an offshoot of Australia鈥檚 C3 Church Global, details plans for the Geary site it claims on its website to have purchased. These include a three-storey multi-purpose building with a 300-seat auditorium for worshippers, a kids鈥 space, a rehearsal studio 鈥 and in the future a 1,500-seat place of worship. A 14-page brochure on the church鈥檚 website claims the property was purchased for $13.5 million 鈥渋nclusive of closing costs,鈥 and budgets $1.5 million for construction.
鈥淐ontinue to pray for the building of our future home. We are not done yet, but together we will see the Vision come to pass!鈥 the brochure says.
But it might take a miracle of some kind for the church鈥檚 plans to be realized.
The current owner of the Geary site says he hasn鈥檛 even sold it, while the city would likely object to any attempt to rezone the property to allow the church to build 鈥 and a neighbourhood petition and the local councillor oppose converting the space to a church.
C3鈥檚 attempt to purchase a home for worshippers in a newly trendy location highlights the growing pains that can come with living in a unique neighbourhood in a rapidly changing city 鈥 and what can be lost.
C3 Global, which claims 400 churches worldwide and 100,000 members, is an evangelical church fronted by charismatic, Instagram-savvy leaders known for attracting trendy millennial worshippers with uplifting music, much like the better-known Hillsong megachurch that has drawn the likes of Justin Bieber. In its promotional material for the Geary location, C3 海角社区官网name checks nearby hipster hot spots like Blood Brothers Brewing, Dark Horse Espresso Bar and North of Brooklyn Pizzeria.
But while the church targets modern young people, it has also faced blowback, including public ex-member accounts, for its beliefs on same-sex marriage. The C3 Global website states: 鈥淢arriage was instituted by God, ratified by Jesus, and is exclusively between a man and a woman.鈥
Leadership at C3 海角社区官网and C3 Global did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story.
Chris Skinner, president of the Rehearsal Factory on Geary, west of Dufferin Street, confirmed to the Star that he put the space on the market to gauge interest and got an offer from C3 海角社区官网and others, but hasn鈥檛 accepted any because they didn鈥檛 meet the price he hopes to get to save his business.
He鈥檚 still hoping a viable offer will be made and that he can still keep the studio spaces open by leasing the building back or the purchaser continuing the business.
He said when he started getting calls about C3鈥檚 claims he immediately called up the church and said, 鈥淟isten guys, what are you doing? We have not sold you the building at all.鈥
Public property records show the site is still owned by the Rehearsal Factory.
鈥淲e had put it up for sale to see what we could get for the place. And because of many different reasons, specifically because of COVID,鈥 Skinner said by phone. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been shut down and have massive losses and don鈥檛 see it returning very quickly.鈥
He said C3 approached his company, which said it would consider the offer, but then C3 went about a 鈥渨ild campaign鈥 on their website.
Skinner started getting calls.
He said he thinks the church was well-intentioned about wanting to purchase the space, but 鈥渢he way that it came out was awful鈥 鈥 shocking both residents and his tenants.
Local residents were distressed to learn about their possible new neighbour on a strip that has changed from repair shops and industrial spaces to trendy tap rooms and eateries over the last decade.
A petition that has garnered more than 2,800 signatures states: “C3 is an organization that the surrounding residents do not want influencing the neighbourhood.”
Gil Masuda, who works in the music industry as owner of the label Love Touch Records and as producer, uses Rehearsal Factory to house his collection of vintage gear used in his music productions.
鈥淚 do have a lot to lose 鈥 losing my space here and also living in the neighbourhood,鈥 he said. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 kind of a double whammy.鈥
Rehearsal Factory hosts monthly tenants like him as well as rooms rented by the hour and has a wide variety of musicians and industry professionals using the studios.
He said the need for specialized equipment and space to work with musicians has made the Rehearsal Factory key to growing his business.
鈥淚 think the city has a moral obligation to keep Rehearsal Factory as it is,鈥 he said. 鈥淲ithout this building 鈥he live scene in 海角社区官网and music in general is pretty much doomed because a large part of the city relies on spaces like these to practise, rehearse for shows, record.鈥
His partner Michelle Los said they鈥檙e not opposed to change in the community 鈥 they鈥檝e already experienced a lot of it even in the six years she鈥檚 been there.
鈥淲hen I moved in, like the only place we could go for a drink was Boo Radley鈥檚 on Dupont. Like, that was our spot. And that鈥檚 not close,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hat was our local. And we were really happy to have somewhere that we could walk to go for a beer.鈥
She said their concern was with the C3 organization itself and what they were presenting on their website without having purchased the site.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just their ways are very problematic to me and not, let鈥檚 put this way, churchly,鈥 she said of C3 claiming to have bought the Geary location and raising money for a space they don鈥檛 own.
Of its beliefs on issues like same-sex marriage, she said: 鈥淭his is just not the spirit of the city.鈥
Actually converting the industrial space into another use would be an uphill battle.
The 38,000-square-foot Geary site, which has been there more than 20 years, is currently part of what the city considers core employment and is zoned as industrial. That significantly limits what can be built there, including a place of worship. It doesn鈥檛 permit gatherings.
Thomas Rees, the city鈥檚 senior planner for the area, said the only way to have a church or a place of assembly allowed in that space or many other residential and non-residential uses, is by making a request through a comprehensive review of the city鈥檚 official plan, which happens every five years.
One such review, which typically takes a couple years, has just begun, Rees said.
The city鈥檚 decision on land use is final and can鈥檛 be appealed.
Even if the land use was changed, a property owner would still have to make a separate application to the city for their specific project, which must be approved by council. There is an appeal process at a provincial tribunal for those decisions.
Rees noted the city has policies to protect employment lands.
鈥淭he city鈥檚 generally very hesitant to convert any employment lands because once they鈥檙e made available for residential use we don鈥檛 really ever get them back,鈥 he said, adding that鈥檚 why the comprehensive review focuses on not converting employment lands piecemeal, but rather takes stock of uses across the city.
The local representative Coun. Ana Bailao (Ward 9 Davenport) said residents have been clear about the special nature of Geary Avenue 鈥 a vibe that does not include C3.
鈥淚 would not support any change that is not in keeping with the plan that we have to maintain that as a cultural corridor to maintain jobs and to maintain the maker space,鈥 she said.
鈥淪o I would not support residential on the strip and I would not support the change of uses that would allow the church to happen in there.鈥
As for the future of Geary Avenue and the Rehearsal Factory, Skinner said even if the Geary location sells he hopes to keep the space 鈥 the largest in his company鈥檚 portfolio 鈥 in business, similar to the Front Street location that has been operating on a lease for several years. Its third site in Toronto, on Richmond Street West, was sold earlier this year, but those tenants have all taken rooms at other locations, he said.
Skinner said the Geary site is one of the biggest venues in the city and there has been little support from the city, the local community or others.
鈥淭he idea of 鈥楳usic City鈥, sure was a great notion 鈥 where is it?鈥 he said about a city initiative under Mayor John Tory.
Without it, spaces like his won鈥檛 survive, he said. And what comes next won鈥檛 be up to him.
鈥淓verybody comes in as a numbered company .鈥 can鈥檛 be the moral compass for the neighbourhood.鈥
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation