Moody’s Church Gets $10-Million Offer for Property

A Sherman Oaks development firm has agreed to pay $10 million for 10 acres occupied by the First Baptist Church of Van Nuys, clearing the way for the church’s move to Chatsworth, its pastor said Tuesday.

The Lycon Group plans to build an undisclosed number of apartments on the site, said Rob Francescon, a partner with the firm.

The Rev. Jess Moody said his church will stay on the site until new facilities in Chatsworth are completed in two years.

The sale is expected to become final in mid-October, Francescon said.

First Baptist had announced an agreement in June to sell the land to First Foursquare Church of Van Nuys, for $11 million. The deal fell through in August when First Foursquare, also known as the Church on the Way, determined that renovation costs would be higher than expected, Moody said.

“I would rather a church have had it,” Moody said. “But we don’t have to believe that church buildings are holy. Only people are holy.”

Concerning the planned apartment construction, David Read, president of the Van Nuys Homeowners Assn., said his organization is “never enthusiastic about additional units.”

However, Read said that apartment construction on the First Baptist site in the busy 14800 block of Sherman Way is “a hard one to beat because its impact on the community will be represented as being negligible.”

‘Close to the Same Deal’

Although First Baptist’s deal with the Lycon Group will yield less money for the property than what Moody sought from First Foursquare in June, it allows Moody’s church to keep interior furniture, chandeliers and other items, the pastor said.

“It’s close to the same deal. Maybe not quite as good,” Moody said.

Moody announced last year that First Baptist would leave Van Nuys to “keep the West Valley from Satan’s grip.” The West San Fernando Valley needs more churches to minister to its increasing population, Moody said.

His attempts to build near affluent Monteria Estates in Chatsworth were frustrated by residents concerned about increased traffic.

Earlier this year, the church bought 25 acres in a relatively undeveloped area of Chatsworth next to the Simi Valley Freeway between Corbin and Winnetka avenues. No community opposition has surfaced, and the church plans to build a sanctuary, Sunday school, offices and other facilities.

A request by the church for a conditional-use permit for the site is pending, Moody said.