If all goes according to plan, Legacy Church pastor Jeff Phillips says his church should begin moving into the soon-to-be former Malco Owensboro Cinema location sometime within the next four to five weeks.
Everything depends on how quickly Malco’s newest location in Gateway Commons progresses during that time period, Phillips said.
“We were told the new theater should be ready within three to four weeks,” Phillips said. “We’re just waiting on the new location to open.”
Owensboro Times reached out to Malco for comment, but could not confirm an exact opening date for the theater’s newest location; however, sources for Malco said they would have an update very soon.
For Phillips and his church congregation, the long-awaited relocation into the Malco theater, located on south Frederica Street, began over two years ago when church leadership at Legacy began the search for a new building to accommodate growing numbers.
“We just feel like we need a permanent home,” Phillips said. “It’s just time. We’ve been so grateful for the space we’ve been given, but we just feel that it’s time for us to have a home.”
Legacy Church has been leasing its current space at 3300 Frederica St. over the last several years, Phillips said.
While Legacy is ready to move forward with its new location, Phillips said the process has been challenging at times. Namely, it’s been difficult to acquire a loan necessary for the purchase agreement at Malco.
“It’s much more difficult for a church to get a loan than it is for other businesses,” Phillips said. “The process of getting a loan has been an ordeal.”
Nonetheless, Phillips said he looks forward to having more space for his church congregation, including 600 parking spots and 50,000 square feet of room that Phillips plans to heavily renovate once the move-in process gets started.
Once Malco finally completes construction at its new location, Phillips believes a weight will be lifted off his shoulders. The church has 30 days to close after Malco completes construction and moves out of the Frederica Street building.
“I think I’ll feel a lot of relief once everything starts coming together,” Phillips said.
