The landmark Gloria Dei Lutheran Church may be replaced by 11 residential homes.
Holmes Beach development services director Chad Minor wrote in an April 29 email to The Islander that an authorized agent for the church, land planner Marshall Robinson of the Bradenton-based Grimes Galvano law firm, entered pre-application discussions with the city about potential changes to the property.
“From the discussion, it appears that the applicant is intending on submitting a small-scale future land use map amendment and rezone application(s) for single-family residential,” Minor wrote.
The Gloria Dei congregation was formed in 1959 and modernist architect Victor Lundy designed the church. The sloped roof has been an island landmark since it was built in 1964.
The church property, 6608 Marina Drive, is owned by the Florida-Bahamas Synod Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.
The building sustained damage in 2024 from hurricanes Helene and Milton and permanently closed its doors following a final service in January 2025.
The property is zoned for public/semi-public use, a zoning district designated for community facilities like churches and schools.
Last year, the city submitted a $3 million offer to purchase the property — a figure determined by a pair of appraisals based on its current zoning — so the building could be preserved and used to house the School for Constructive Play, among other community uses.
However, the Florida-Bahamas Synod rejected the offer and posted an asking price of $9.9 million based on the highest-and-best use if it were rezoned and redeveloped.
Any rezoning change or future land use amendment would need to go before the city commission for consideration.
The property owner is doing due diligence to explore that possibility.
Mayor Judy Titsworth told The Islander on April 28 that the pre-application discussions were centered around potentially turning the property into up to 11 residential homes.
She expressed disappointment that the city’s offer to buy the church was unsuccessful, but said it was the most money the city could responsibly offer.
“We’re dealing with taxpayer money. So, we were uncomfortable paying more than the land is appraised for,” Titsworth said. “They just had way too high of a price tag.”
Titsworth said that if the property were to be redeveloped into homes, they would fit the area, as it is surrounded by single- and two-family residential zones.
“I think it would fit in well with the community,” she said. “I think as far as ‘what-ifs’ go, this is probably one of the better ‘what-ifs’ for the neighboring property owners.”
Nevertheless, Titsworth said she would not be happy to see the church — which she said has become a landmark to longtime islanders — be taken down for redevelopment.
“It’s really a very unique building,” she said. “It’s going to be an extremely sad day if that building gets knocked down.”
Robinson did not respond to an April 30 call from The Islander.