143-year-old Gwinnett church turning empty buildings into new community

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County church that has been part of its city for nearly 143 years is replacing empty buildings with new homes and a facility for special needs adults.

Snellville Community Church sold nearly nine acres of its campus off Highway 78 to Parkland Communities. The deal closed in December.

Senior Pastor Quincy Brown told Channel 2 Gwinnett Bureau Chief Matt Johnson that the church wanted a project that fit its mission.

“We have always seen ourselves as part of the community,” Brown said.

Construction crews are already clearing the site. The project will put 140 stacked townhomes and a 14,000-square-foot commercial building on the church’s old campus at Civic Drive, Pate Street and Henry Clower Boulevard.

Brown said the commercial building excited him most.

“The thing that really excited us was the special needs facility,” he said.

Part of that space will go to A Place for Bethany, a nonprofit that serves adults with special needs who have aged out of state programs. The other half will house a satellite location for Special Kneads and Treats, a Lawrenceville bakery that hires adults with special needs.

Brown said the church saw a chance to address both at once, “providing spaces for individuals with special needs, often who are people that don’t have places to go.”

The Snellville City Council approved the rezoning for the project. The church sold the land for $3.4 million, with the money going back to the congregation, including a legacy fund for its long-term future.

If construction stays on schedule, the townhomes and commercial building should be finished by the end of 2027.

Brown said the project reflects what he believes the church is for.

“Life is hard. We don’t want people to do it alone, and we want people to know that there’s a place for them here,” he said.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

TRENDING STORIES:

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]