Following 18-month search, religious group plans to begin operations in early 2021

FREDERICK, MD (October 13, 2020) – Michael Bartlett, Lead Pastor for Collective Church, affectionately describes the religious organization as “the church for the rest of us” and the “unchurched” based on the number of unorthodox practices incorporated into its mission, including the use of a full band that performs rock music with an alternative vibe during services. Following an 18-month search, Collective Church signed a lease with St. John Properties, Inc. for 11,520 square feet of space at Westview Business Park. The church intends to relocate from its current space at West Frederick Middle School and begin operations at 5103 Pegasus Court in early 2021. Danny Foit, Leasing Representative for St. John Properties represented the landlord, and Andrew Borsa and Brian Duncan of Tyler Duncan Realty Partners represented the tenant in this transaction.

“Our objective is to consistently offer a religious experience that is completely different from what people became accustomed to while growing up, and we believe that philosophy holds the secret to our success,” Pastor Bartlett explained. “Many of our congregants describe themselves as people that would never attend church because they view the experience as stiff and stoic. From the moment they drive into the parking lot at Collective, we want them to feel like there is something different about our church because of the music we play, how we serve the community or just because you meet people who are excited to be there.”

Recognizing how difficult 2020 has been for so many in the Frederick region, Pastor Bartlett explained the “won’t you be my neighbor” initiative implemented by Collective Church recently. “The stay-at-home order made it difficult to see people on a daily basis and to make sure they were healthy and functioning. So, we asked our congregants to go out of their way to meet their neighbors while on walks or checking their mail. We also organize socially-distant Happy Hours and are now collecting school supplies for students attending West Frederick Middle School, because we will never forget how welcoming the school was to us. Especially needed during these stressful times, we also regularly sponsor discussions focusing on mental health issues.”

After operating at West Frederick Middle School for the past three years, the religious organization gradually outgrew its space. “One of my colleagues serves as the pastor for a church formerly located at Troy Hill Corporate Center in Howard County, and he expressed his high regard for the people and overall experience provided by the landlord, St. John Properties. With several St. John Properties business communities to choose from in Frederick, we felt Westview Business Park represented the perfect fit for us. The space creates opportunities for future growth, the business community is easily accessible from MD Route 85 and Interstate 270, and there is a full complement of amenities located directly across the street. This is the area where Frederick is growing.”

5103 Pegasus Court is a single-story, 33,560 square foot flex/R&D building offering 16-foot ceiling heights and dock and drive-in rear loading options. It is among the nine buildings comprising more than 420,000 square feet of flex/R&D space located in Westview Business Park, a 49-acre business community situated directly off MD Route 85 at Pegasus Court. The park also contains four buildings offering more than 30,000 square feet of retail space.

“The Collective Church is innovative and vibrant, its leadership understands the Frederick area extremely well and, because of this, the congregation has been growing by leaps and bounds,” stated Matt Holbrook, Regional Partner, Virginia and Central Maryland for St. John Properties. “And beyond the walls of their facility this group is everywhere in our community, serving others, caring for those in need, and making a difference wherever they can. This represents the type of client we want in our portfolio.”

St. John Properties, Inc., founded in 1971, owns and has developed more than 20 million square feet of Flex/R&D, Office, Retail and Warehouse space in Maryland, Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Utah and Wisconsin. The company was named “2018 Developer of the Year” for the Nation by NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association.  For more information about the company, visit sjp.mu9b0uf9-liquidwebsites.com.