A big-box store that sat empty along Holcomb Bridge Road for nearly a decade is about to have a very different second life, and the project may not be finished growing.
The Eagles Nest campus uses 2342 Holcomb Bridge Road as its public address within the former Centennial Village property. Parcel records place the former Kohl’s building itself on the adjoining 2340 Holcomb Bridge Road parcel.
Kohl’s closed the location in 2016. A later plan to turn the property into a pickleball and entertainment destination received approvals in 2021, but the project never moved forward. The empty site eventually became known in part for tractor-trailers using the parking lot.
Now, after years of uncertainty, the building is reopening.
Eagles Nest Church will hold its first Sunday services at the property on September 6, formally opening a permanent campus that converts roughly 80,000 square feet of former retail space into a church, community gathering space and event venue. Services are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
A roughly $28 million investment
Eagles Nest says the total investment in the property is approximately $28 million, including the original property acquisition and the extensive redevelopment of the former Kohl’s building. The figure should not be read as construction cost alone.
The church was part of a group that purchased the property in December 2022 for $13 million. At the time, church leadership was already talking about something broader than a conventional church campus, with restaurant, retail and event uses among the possibilities being considered.
The completed first phase now includes an auditorium capable of seating more than 1,000 people, dedicated areas for children and students, classrooms and flexible gathering areas.
According to Eagles Nest, those spaces are designed to accommodate much more than Sunday worship. The facility is expected to host weddings, graduations, meetings, conferences, corporate training, concerts and community gatherings, with event rentals beginning this fall.
This is adaptive reuse, not demolition and replacement
What makes the project particularly interesting for Roswell is what did not happen.
Instead of tearing down another aging commercial building and waiting years for a completely new development, the former big-box shell was reused.
An approximately 80,000-square-foot retail building that had effectively lost its original economic purpose has been converted into a modern gathering and event facility.
That matters along Holcomb Bridge Road, where East Roswell has spent years dealing with aging retail centers, changing shopping patterns and questions about what should replace obsolete commercial space.
The former Kohl’s is now an example of one answer: reuse what is already there and give it an entirely different purpose.
And the parking lot may eventually become something more
The Sunday opening does not necessarily represent the end of the redevelopment.
Eagles Nest has described this as the first phase of a broader vision for the roughly 16-acre campus.
Church officials say future phases could create opportunities for Class A retail, restaurants and dining, family-oriented businesses and a daycare partner.
But there is an important distinction. Those future uses should not be described as currently under construction. Detailed plans, tenants, construction schedules and final development specifics for those additional phases have not been publicly announced in the sources reviewed by BBDN.
That makes the large amount of remaining land around the former Kohl’s worth watching.
The building is already becoming more than a Sunday venue
There is another interesting indication of how the facility may function within Roswell.
The City of Roswell has scheduled its September 16 property-tax town hall at Eagles Nest Church, just ten days after the facility’s official Sunday opening.
That meeting will give residents an opportunity to question city officials about Roswell’s proposed 2026 millage rate.
In other words, one of East Roswell’s largest long-vacant commercial buildings is immediately transitioning from an empty retail box into a location capable of hosting religious services, private events and major civic gatherings.
A long road to reopening
Eagles Nest Church was founded in 2012 and has spent much of its history operating from temporary locations, including a DoubleTree hotel, Andretti Indoor Karting and Games, the Phase Family Center and Centennial High School.
The church says the new Holcomb Bridge campus will be its first permanent home after 14 years.
The grand opening Sunday is being called “The CrossOver.”
For Roswell residents, however, the larger story may be what happens beyond opening weekend.
A property that sat dormant for nearly a decade is active again. Approximately $28 million has been invested into its acquisition and transformation. And portions of one of East Roswell’s largest commercial sites could still be redeveloped further.
BBDN will be watching what comes next.
BBDN Quick Facts
- Campus public address: 2342 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell, GA 30076
- Former Kohl’s building parcel: 2340 Holcomb Bridge Road
- Former use: Kohl’s department store
- Kohl’s closure: 2016
- Property purchase: $13 million, December 2022
- Total stated investment: Approximately $28 million, including acquisition and redevelopment
- Reused building: Approximately 80,000 sq. ft.
- Auditorium: More than 1,000 seats
- Opening: Sunday, September 6, 2026
- Services: 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
- Current status: First phase opening
- Future retail/dining/daycare: Future vision, not confirmed as current construction
- Roswell tax town hall: September 16 at the new facility
Sources
- Eagles Nest Church: New Building
- Eagles Nest Church: Grand Opening
- Eagles Nest Church redevelopment announcement
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution redevelopment report
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution property purchase report
- City of Roswell property tax information
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