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Home » Trio of warehouses to be converted into church

Trio of warehouses to be converted into church

Plans for sanctuary show 550-person max capacity

July 20, 2023
Karina Elias

The Vintage Faith Community, a Christian organization that operates here as Soma Spokane, plans to remodel three attached warehouses and convert them into a religious facility, according to a pre-development application submitted to the city of Spokane.

Application information shows the site for the proposed $2.5 million project consists of three adjacent parcels of land totaling 32,000 square feet on the 100 block of east Ermina Avenue, just east of Division Street in Spokane’s Logan neighborhood.

Gabe Shippam, executive deacon of Soma Spokane, says via email that the organization is still in its fundraising phase for the project and declines further comment.

Architect Brad Hakala, of Spokane-based Trek Architecture, is listed as the architect on the project’s site plans. No contractor is listed in the pre-development information.

Spokane County Assessor’s records show Athanasios T. Bitsas, of Oak Brook, Illinois, owns all three parcels.

According to application information, the warehouses on the site will undergo an interior remodel that will transform a portion of the facility into a 5,200-square-foot sanctuary with the capacity to accommodate up to 550 people, and a 2,200-square-foot foyer. Site plans also include six 375-square-foot classrooms, a 1,600-square-foot multipurpose room, and nine parking spaces.

The application says the site isn’t able to accommodate the 50 parking spaces required for the proposed use, but the organization’s goal is to have shared parking agreements with adjacent property owners for its Sunday gatherings.

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