The Unfinished Woodward Megachurch Site

**Sehv313** · December-18-20, 06:44 PM

At 7 & Woodward sits "The New Perfecting Church", which broke ground in 2000 and has sat vacant towering over the intersection since 2003. Owned by Pastor Marvin Winans of the Perfecting Church on East Nevada & Van Dyke [[and currently not behind on taxes at all) who last spoke about the site in 2016 with hopes of opening in 2017.

2016 CBS News Article:
https://detroit.cbslocal.com/2016/03...pen-next-year/

It's 3 years later and with all of the development happening with Amazon moving to 8 & Woodward, as well as Magic Johnson theaters and the new DDOT Transit System one wonders about whats to come of the other major development that sits less than a half mile down the avenue.

So... Any updates as of lately?

**Hamtragedy** · December-19-20, 01:20 AM

Notre Dame took over a century to build so I guess there's not much of a rush. Then again, the Haiga Sophia in Istanbul was built almost 700 years prior to Notre Dame, you can fit the Statue of Liberty beneath its dome, and it only took 6 years to build.

Then there's the Tyvek Temple. Look, I love yellow brick as much as the next guy, but yeah, I'm kinda tired of looking at the same damn mud lot for 20 years now.

**Dexlin** · December-19-20, 02:04 AM

From the Freep last year:

In 1882 in Barcelona, Spain, construction started on a giant Catholic church named Sagrada Familia. Now, 137 years later, the famous church is still not done and isn't expected to be until 2026.

By that standard, progress on an unfinished megachurch on Woodward just north of 7 Mile has been going swiftly — even as that project drags through its 16th year.

Perfecting Church began construction of its new 5,000-seat megachurch in 2003. Since then, the work has lagged, stalled, stopped cold when money ran out, then started up again.

A Free Press visit to the site last week found the church still surrounded in construction fencing with exposed metal beams visible inside.

Church officials did not return phone messages for comment.

Somehow, someday, somewhere.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · December-19-20, 03:47 AM

Probably ran over budget. Can't continue until he procures more funds. You know these mega-churches compete to see who can build the latest and the greatest.

**Sehv313** · December-19-20, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

Probably ran over budget. Can't continue until he procures more funds. You know these mega-churches compete to see who can build the latest and the greatest.

But see that's the thing, the exterior is finished, it's just the interior that needs work, and the original perfecting church was always filled to capacity pre-Covid. Is there city violations for sitting developments that spans through years.

**Hypestyles** · December-19-20, 02:03 PM

well, best of luck to them.

tentatively, when.. if.. the project is completed, what were the plans for the Van Dyke location?

I suppose, at least, they aren't planning on moving to fill-in-the-blank outer-rim suburb. [[which of course, would be their business but anyway...) I'd be curious about their fundraising approach.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · December-19-20, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

well, best of luck to them.

tentatively, when.. if.. the project is completed, what were the plans for the Van Dyke location?

I suppose, at least, they aren't planning on moving to fill-in-the-blank outer-rim suburb. [[which of course, would be their business but anyway...) I'd be curious about their fundraising approach.

I know nothing about this mega church, but if they follow the typical fundraising approach it would be to siphon funds away from many who can ill afford it.

**Sehv313** · December-19-20, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

I know nothing about this mega church, but if they follow the typical fundraising approach it would be to siphon funds away from many who can ill afford it.

The Winans Family is one of the most if not most prominent gospel families out of Detroit. I'm pretty sure their hearts were in the right place but it's rare to break ground in Detroit, complete majority of the construction and just stop for almost 20 years. Their Nevada location is overcrowded and the also have a Elementary/Middle Charter School adjacent to their church. I'm thinking the plans had changed a while back and never really took off. It's just a beautiful eyesore at this point.

**Danny** · December-19-20, 06:23 PM

Jesus built a church out of people not buildings.

**Honky Tonk** · December-19-20, 07:12 PM

Has anyone here ever been to Greater Grace Temple? It's like visiting the NASA site. Still, a very reverent and communal feeling environment.

**Meddle** · December-19-20, 07:20 PM

Imagine if those palaces had to pay property taxes.

**easycomeeasygo** · December-22-20, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Imagine if those palaces had to pay property taxes.

Then we might end up using these castles to house people. Curious which type of taxes his other church is behind on? Sales or other income tax?

**easycomeeasygo** · December-22-20, 10:40 AM

Is there still security there every night? I had seen that front building lit all night with guards out front for a long time.

This church has a long way to go before you can compare it to the one in Spain. Maybe the bead museum guy is looking for a new project.

**brandon48202** · December-22-20, 11:17 AM

That site is 8.61 acres. It's really hard to assemble such a large building site in Detroit. What's something like this worth? Let's say it's worth $2,000,000. How much property tax revenue SHOULD have been collected over the last 20 years for this parcel assuming a $2,000,000 valuation? About $1,600,000.

**hybridy** · December-22-20, 12:39 PM

https://imgur.com/c4X44Cs

**Gistok** · December-22-20, 02:13 PM

The largest church in the western hemisphere... NYC Cathedral of St. John the Divine... was started in 1892, and is still only 2/3 finished.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathed...ohn_the_Divine

Probably the longest church building program [[with long pauses) was Germany's Cologne Cathedral [[Kölner Dom)... which was started in 1248, and not finished until 1880. For a few years its 515ft. twin towers were the tallest building in the world.