ONTARIO — The unfinished 43,000-square-foot church on Park Avenue West has finally been sold after nearly 15 years on the market.
Ontario Mayor Randy Hutchinson announced at the May 3 council meeting that businessman and philanthropist Dan Niss bought the property and signed the real estate deed on Wednesday.
“We’re not sure what Dan is going to do with it, but we had an inspection there last week and they’re fixing it up,” Hutchinson said. “I’ve been working on that since I came into office in 2014.
“We’re not positive what he’s going to do there, but he will do something.”
Niss is the president of Charter Next Generation and owns Westbrook Country Club with his wife, Brenda Niss. The couple also own Niss Aviation.
Niss said he has not walked through the 1943 Park Avenue West property yet, but has talked with contractors who have visited the property.
“I’ve driven past it many times and it’s an eyesore, so we’re certainly going to clean it up,” he said.
Niss said he hopes contractors will begin cleaning up the property within the next month.
“There’s some preliminary stuff that needs to get done too, like sewer service and things like that,” he said.
Niss said he has no specific plans for the property yet, but is thinking “technology-driven office space.”
“We’ll clean it up, dress it up and make it look nice,” he said. “With Intel coming to Columbus, I think there’s some opportunity for more economic development in this area.”
According to the Richland County auditor’s website, the 1943 Park Ave. West building is 43,560 square feet. The total property is 17 acres.
“It’s really early to tell what this space will be yet,” Niss said.
Grace Brethren Church bought the land in 1992 in response to growing membership, according to a decision of Richland County Common Pleas Court Magistrate in 2008.
Rev. J. Hudson Thayer, pastor at Grace Brethren Church, told Richland Source in 2021 that the church decided to put the property up for sale shortly after the hired contractor sued them for expenses owed. The property was about 60% done at that point without plans to complete it.
Grace Brethren Church could not be reached for comment.
