A Florida Church That Is Nearly A Century Old Could Be Demolished To Make Way For Townhomes

Photo byChristian Grandfather MagazineonUnsplash

I suspect that some Floridians reading this article have memories of going to church with their grandparents, which means that the church of their childhood memories is now older and may be showing signs of disrepair.

Some of these vintage churches held baptisms, weddings, funerals, and other special occasions and therefore hold great sentimental value.

Unfortunately, one of these older Florida churches may be demolished to make way for townhomes.

About Bell Shoals Church: The Palm River page of The Bell Shoals church website comes back with an error. That's because the church is no longer actively running, despite the church having locations in Riverview, Apollo Beach, and Brandon.

According to The Roys Report, the Palm River location closed in the spring of 2022, but the rest of the locations have a membership of around 6,000 members.

The Brandon location gets 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google reviews, with one reviewer named Tiffany writing, in part:

"Our family started attending here last summer, and we love everything about it. Our four children have all made friends and love their small groups. The preaching and worship are dynamic... I also really appreciate the focus on community outreach. Great church!"

The Possibility Of Demolition and Townhomes: According to WFLA, the building is in disrepair, and fixing it could cost over $1 million. Because of this, the church has agreed to sell its 7 acres to Lennar Homes, which plans to build townhomes in its place.

The property would need to be redeveloped for housing, and officials will discuss this possibility at a February meeting.

The author is not affiliated with Bell Shoals Church or any other churches.