Avison Young brokers purchase of 19,420-sf church facility on 10.5 acres on behalf of Protestant Episcopal Church Council of the Diocese of Texas
June 17, 2020Church triples its property size after Hurricane Harvey flooding in 2017
Houston, TX – Avison Young today announced it negotiated the purchase of a 19,420-square-foot (sf) church facility on 10.5 acres located at 3785 Barker Cypress Road in Houston.
Protestant Episcopal Church Council of the Diocese of Texas , the buyer, was represented by Avison Young Principals Tommy LeBlanc and Charlie Neuhaus, who are both based in the firm’s Houston office. The seller, Covenant Lutheran Church, was represented by Carol Gray and Christina Hipps of International Church Realty.
“We are so pleased to find a suitable location for Emmanuel Episcopal Church that includes nearly 20,000 square feet of buildings, including worship space, parish hall, library, offices, classrooms, nursery and plenty of parking,” said LeBlanc.
“Finding the right location that fits the needs for the congregation of Emmanuel Episcopal Church has been a long and purposeful journey,” added Neuhaus. “We are excited that this process has led them to a place that they can now call home.”
Emmanuel Episcopal Church’s former location, 15015 Memorial Drive in Houston, was flooded during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and its building was rendered unusable. The displaced congregation was immediately welcomed by Temple Sinai, a Reform Jewish synagogue, to use their sanctuary space for their Sunday services. Both religious communities have shared the space for the last three years and Temple Sinai’s congregation started by sharing space at Emmanuel years ago.
Emmanuel Episcopal Church has moved into their new location and will continue to monitor COVID-19 precautions before resuming services.
“Our initial plan was to find a property and build a new church, but the Holy Spirit led us in a different direction,” said the Rev. Lance Ousley, priest-in-charge of Emmanuel Episcopal Church. “With much prayer and the Spirit’s guidance, we are so blessed to have found such a welcoming and hospitable property where we can continue our mission, ministry and community partnerships right away. It took all of us working together and listening, including Tommy and Charlie, and we are grateful for their attention to our specific needs.”Avison Young is the world’s fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its Principals. Founded in 1978, with legacies dating back more than 200 years, the company comprises thousands of real estate professionals in more than 100 offices around the world. The firm’s experts provide value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management and financing services to clients across the office, retail, industrial, multi-family and hospitality sectors.
Avison Young is a 2020 winner of the Canada's Best Managed Companies Platinum Club designation, having retained its Best Managed designation for nine consecutive years.