The historic church in Venice where actor Andrew Keegan runs his spiritual organization Full Circle has been listed for $6.5 million. The seller, an LLC connected to the waste management firm BLT Enterprises, is trying to flip it for a $2 million profit, The Real Deal has exclusively learned.
BLT acquired the property known as the Rose Temple in August 2014 for $4.5 million from Saber Realty Advisors. The firm is asking $1,039 a square foot for the building at 305 Rose Avenue, which has vaulted ceilings, exposed trusses and stained glass windows.
How the sale will affect the movement helmed by the “10 Things I Hate About You” and “Party of Five” actor remains unclear. Full Circle has been a tenant since April 2014 on a month-to-month lease.
It is possible that high rent could kick the group out. Full Circle pays $12,500 a month for the space, according to the MLS. BLT nearly doubled the rent after buying the property, much to Keegan’s chagrin. (He told the Los Angeles Times last year that the rent raise almost wiped the organization out.)
The inside of the church at 305 Rose Avenue
There is also a slight possibility that the new owner could attempt to redevelop the property, seizing upon the hipness of Venice’s Rose Avenue corridor, with C.A.V.E. Gallery, Gjusta and the Rose — now run by restaurateur Bill Chait — in close proximity.
The site is zoned for church use, but a new owner could try to get a zoning variance.
Tami Pardee and Christopher Birdsall of Pardee Properties have the listing, which advertises a commercial catering kitchen, office space, a community garden, and a basement “perfect for a creative/flex space.”
Keegan, who told the Los Angeles Times his true spiritual awakening occurred at Burning Man, is confident his organization will prevail despite the changes.
Full Circle’s director of strategic development, Jason Dilts, told The Real Deal it will keep its doors open.
“Despite the many challenges to being in this building for nearly 2 years, zoning and parking being chief among them, we have never been stronger as an organization,” Dilts said in an email. “The desirable location of Venice is obviously causing many changes within our community and the listing of the building, now twice during our tenure in the space, is a reflection of larger issues. We have expressed interest in purchasing the building, but regardless of the outcome our plan is to keep the doors open and remain focused on our mission of providing spirit in community.”
It looks like Full Circle is committed to staying put, but were they to expand, Pardee Properties has another former Silicon Beach church listed in Santa Monica for a $25,000 a month lease. The 1905 property at 2621 Second Street, which is said to be the oldest wood structure in the area, has since been converted to residential use, but it still has cathedral ceilings and clerestory windows.