After sitting vacant since 2016, former Kohl’s is revived with $28M investment

Eagles Nest Church, a non-denominational group founded in 2012, purchased the 15-acre retail property in December 2022 for $13 million from Rothenberg-Rosenfield, a New York-based real estate firm, through its entity ENA Group LLC. The overall investment grew to approximately $28 million to cover the extensive renovation and redevelopment of the site. According to reports from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and a press statement distributed through EIN Presswire, the interior of the former store was completely overhauled, transforming the space into a modern campus designed for both worship and community activities.

The new facility features an auditorium with seating for more than 1,000, along with dedicated spaces for youth education and multipurpose event rooms. Designed to serve beyond traditional Sunday gatherings, Eagles Nest Church plans to open the venue seven days a week starting September 2026, making it available for a wide range of community functions including weddings, graduations, corporate training, conferences, and musical performances. The church is planning a grand opening event, “The CrossOver,” on 6 September 2026, encouraging attendees to wear white in celebration.

The journey to a permanent home has been a long one for Eagles Nest Church, which began in a hotel ballroom and rotated through various temporary locations including office parks, entertainment centers, and the auditorium of Centennial High School. Senior Pastor Lee Jenkins, who has lived in Roswell for nearly 25 years and previously ran for mayor in 2017, led the congregation through this mobile phase. Jenkins brings a unique background to the role, having played college football, been drafted by the NFL’s New York Giants, and worked for 25 years on Wall Street as well as managing Grammy Award-winning gospel artists before founding the church.

Jenkins described the redevelopment as a way to “bring back to life” the vacant property and build a center for community enrichment. “For nearly a decade, this building sat vacant. Today, it stands as a place of worship, community, and connection,” Jenkins said via EIN Presswire. He also emphasized that the establishment of a permanent home would enable the church to have a greater impact on families and the wider Roswell community.

Looking forward, the church’s move into its new facility is just the first phase in a broader redevelopment plan known as The Beacon at East Roswell, a 16-acre master plan being developed in partnership with Atlanta real estate firm Regent Partners. Future stages will focus on attracting retail shops, restaurants, family-oriented businesses, and a childcare facility to the revitalized shopping center, leveraging the adaptive reuse model as a solution to the decline of traditional big-box retail across American suburbs. The project stands as one of the largest private adaptive reuse initiatives in East Roswell in recent years, repurposing previously abandoned commercial space into a hub for local engagement and economic development.