Eagles Nest Church opens $28 million Roswell redevelopment

Eagles Nest Church will open its new permanent home on Sept. 6 in Roswell, Georgia, after investing about $28 million to turn a vacant Kohl’s store into an 80,000-square-foot church and events campus. The project adds a year-round venue for worship, community gatherings and future retail and dining uses on a 16-acre site.

Why it matters: - Eagles Nest Church is turning an empty big-box property into an active community site instead of leaving a prominent commercial space idle. - The redevelopment adds a new year-round venue in Roswell for worship, events and future mixed-use development. - The project also signals a reuse model for underused retail real estate in North Fulton.

What happened: - Eagles Nest Church will hold a grand opening on Sunday, Sept. 6, for its new permanent home at 2342 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell. - The church says it invested about $28 million in the property acquisition and renovations. - The former Kohl’s site has been transformed into about 80,000 square feet of worship, gathering and event space. - The opening celebration is called “The CrossOver” and will feature all-white attire. - Service times on Sept. 6 are set for 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

The details: - The main auditorium seats more than 1,000 people. - The campus includes dedicated spaces for children and students. - Flexible rooms are designed for weddings, graduations, conferences, meetings, concerts, corporate training and community gatherings. - The property sat vacant for nearly a decade and was used unofficially as a parking area for tractor-trailers. - The redevelopment covers the first phase of a broader plan for an approximately 16-acre campus. - Eagles Nest Church says it will begin offering the flexible spaces for event rentals this fall. - Future campus phases could add Class A retail, dining, family-oriented uses and a daycare partner.

Between the lines: - Pastor Lee Jenkins framed the project as a long-term bet that churches can serve as civic spaces, not just Sunday venues. - Jenkins said the church saw “possibility” in a building that had “gone quiet,” reflecting a strategy to pair ministry with broader community use. - The project also creates a financial and operational model based on keeping the site active throughout the week. - The redevelopment gives Eagles Nest a more permanent platform after 14 years in temporary spaces, including hotel ballrooms, entertainment venues and school facilities.

What's next: - Eagles Nest will use the site as its new worship home beginning Sept. 6. - The church plans to open event rentals in the fall. - Additional campus development will follow in later phases as the organization pursues retail, dining and family-service uses. - The larger vision is to make the property a year-round destination for Roswell, North Fulton and the surrounding region.

The bottom line: - A vacant retail shell is becoming a multi-use church campus, and Eagles Nest is betting the site can serve both ministry and neighborhood demand for years to come.