The New Life Evangelistic Center in downtown St. Louis has been closed since April of 2017 when they were shut down by the building division due to violations. Now, Reverend Larry Rice is putting the one-hundred-year-old building up for sale.
The over 50,000 sqft building at 1411 Locust was the home of the New Life Evangelistic Center for around fifty years. Reverend Larry Rice shares why he made the decision to sell the property.
oc..."We know that something has to be done, so that's why we put the building up for sale." says Rice, adding "Hope we get the dollars we're asking for so we can go ahead and move forward and acquire another facility
Rice's asking price is three million dollars. Other nearby but significantly larger downtown buildings include the Wainwright building, which recently sold for $8.4 million and AT&T Tower which sold for $3.5 million. I asked Rice if he is confident someone will meet his price?
"It's negotiable, I can put it that way. Anything close to it we'll look at."
Outside of that dollar amount, does Rice have any conditions on future plans for the building that match his philanthropic beliefs? Such that it will become affordable or low income housing? He says no.
"There's an independent real estate agency that's handling all of this."
In attempts to reopen, the New Life Evangelistic Center spent a large amount of money on renovations and legal fees. I asked Rice if the sale is at all tied to those costs?
"No. We have other resources, we have other assets." Rice adds "We plan to just turn this money around and invest the majority of it... we're gonna have to open up some other place."
Rice shares his vision for a new shelter.
"A place people can go to during the day time. They're just wandering the streets, even when [the city] opens up these winter shelters. We have a vision for a place. A place of refuge, a place where they can come and get direct help."
I asked Reverend Rice if it has hit him yet that this is the end of an era at 1411 Locust.
"Yes. It's taken a long time, it's been like seven and a half years [to] go through that process. We've gone through a lot of changes and I think change is very, very important."
Rice shares his favorite memories from the old building.
"The dreams I had. The things in the past that I'd see. The women, the children, the worship studio. People that we've been able to feed there, the people that have able to shelter there."
Rice says the building is being pitched to developers as residential or mixed use. It was built in 1911 and has a basement parking area.
