‘From Kohl’s to Souls’: A former Roswell big box store is becoming a church
Kohl’s decided in 2016 to close one of its big box stores in Roswell, but no one knew the building’s fate would be stuck in purgatory for the next decade.
A pickleball-themed redevelopment never got past its initial serve, and it devolved into a glorified parking spot for big rigs along Holcomb Bridge Road. But salvation for the property has come and will soon be on display.
Eagles Nest Church is preparing to unveil its $28 million redevelopment of the shuttered store and its 16-acre site, transforming it into an event space for worship and community engagement. Pastor Lee Jenkins, who leads the church, said the project holds lots of potential for faith-based outreach, giving it the tagline “From Kohl’s to Souls.”
“This is about taking a space that had gone quiet and giving it a new life and new purpose,” Jenkins said in a news release. “We are building a ‘nest’ where people can worship on Sunday, but also a place where this community can come together and celebrate major moments 365 days a year.”
The big box store at 2342 Holcomb Bridge Road was among three metro Atlanta locations Kohl’s closed in 2016 as part of a nationwide plan to shed underperforming stores. The others were at Stonecrest Mall and Northlake Mall, which is now slated to become medical offices for Emory Healthcare.
A plan in 2021 aimed to redevelop the Roswell real estate into a pickleball entertainment concept called Pickle Social gained traction with city leaders, including the issuance of permits, but it ultimately didn’t happen. It later became an “an unofficial parking area for tractor-trailers,” according to the news release.
Eagles Nest swooped in last year and saw the property as a place ripe for its congregation’s future. Founded in 2012, the church quickly amassed a non-denominational congregation of nearly 4,000 while using temporary spaces, such as Centennial High School, for its Sunday services.
The church has spent $28 million to acquire the land, the 80,000-square-foot building and deliver its redevelopment vision. The retrofitted big box store was designed for worship services, weddings, graduations, meetings, conferences, concerts and other community gatherings.
It mirrors similar projects by other large churches in the Atlanta area that have converted former warehouses and office floors into worship areas.
Eagles Nest said portions of the former Kohl’s parking lot could support new development, including retail spaces, dining and a daycare. Further specifics on later project phases were not released.
“We see this campus becoming an epicenter for how we connect with, serve and grow alongside our community,” Jenkins said.
Eagles Nest Church’s first services at its new location will take place 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Sunday.