WHY THE ST. JAMES CAMPUS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY, ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME DEAL FOR FRONTIER

A Strategic Summary for Frontier Leadership

Pasadena is one of the most competitive, expensive, and supply-restricted cities in Southern California for churches, schools, and nonprofits. Church properties almost never come available, and when they do, they lease or sell at rates most congregations cannot sustain. In this environment, the St. James campus represents a nearly impossible, once-in-a-generation opportunity for Frontier Church.

Below summarizes why the deal we have negotiated is extraordinarily strong, how the campus compares to anything else available in Pasadena, and why this is the right home for Frontier’s long-term mission and ministry.

The Lease Terms: Better Than Anything Comparable in Pasadena

Base Rent

  • $22,500/month, approx. $0.90–$1.00 per square foot

  • Pasadena church and school facilities typically lease for $2.00–$4.50 per square foot (sometimes more).

NNN Pass-Through Costs

  • Insurance: $37,000/year

  • Small property-related fees (not taxes): ~$6,500/year

  • Total pass-through: ~$3,625/month

  • All-in occupancy cost: ≈ $26,125/month
    Still dramatically lower than Pasadena market rates for anything even half as functional.

Lease Length

  • 10-year guaranteed runway

    • 6-year initial term

    • 4-year extension option

  • Lease automatically survives a sale or foreclosure (via SNDA protections)

Landlord Responsibilities

  • Roof – Lessor responsible for the entire term

  • Foundation & structural components – Lessor responsible for first 6 months

  • Structural termite issues – Lessor responsible

  • Roof maintenance contract – Already in place

  • Building systems delivered in good working order (gas, HVAC, electrical, water)

These protections significantly reduce risk for a 100-year-old building.

Our Rights & Flexibility

  • School use permitted — huge revenue potential

  • Coffee shop / café use permitted — rare for church leases

  • Wedding + event venue permitted — generates revenue and fits ministry vision

  • Broad permitted-use definition covering discipleship, worship, prayer, community life

  • Right of First Offer if they ever decide to sell

  • Improved contingencies for inspection

  • Interior improvement flexibility for classrooms, café, offices, etc.

  • Full 7-day access, no CUP required

  • Ample parking — almost unheard of in Pasadena

This combination is extraordinarily rare.

What We Are Getting in the Campus: A Full Ministry & Community Ecosystem

The St. James campus includes:

  • A beautiful sanctuary with character, warmth, and ministry potential

  • A chapel suitable for prayer, midweek services, small gatherings, or youth

  • Classrooms for kids ministry, youth ministry, small groups, discipleship environments

  • A fellowship hall for midweek ministry, events, dinners, Alpha, and community gatherings

  • Multiple outdoor spaces including a courtyard — perfect for hospitality and Sunday life

  • A parking lot — extremely rare for Pasadena and essential for ministry and events

  • A separate entrance ideal for weekday café/coffee operation

  • Office space, storage, and admin areas

  • A location on a main corridor (Washington Blvd) with visibility, neighborhood presence, and walkability

No other Pasadena property offers this breadth of ministry functionality for anywhere near this cost.

Revenue Potential: A Campus That Helps Fund Itself

Unlike most church buildings, this campus enables multiple mission-aligned revenue streams:

A School Tenant (TDCA or similar)

  • Provides consistent monthly income

  • Fits zoning and ministry vision

  • Uses weekday space without interfering with Sundays

  • Creates a long-term partnership and community presence

Weddings + Events

Most churches cannot do weddings profitably due to: Poor layout; No parking; No aesthetics; Noise ordinances; CUP restrictions

St. James can host: Weddings; Memorials; Baby dedications; Concerts; Community events; Recitals; Conferences

This is a financial and missional asset.

Coffee Shop / Third Space Café

  • Separate entrance

  • Street visibility

  • Daytime ministry / community hub

  • Can be run by a partner (Johnny) and produce income

  • Supports Frontier’s third-space vision

Outside rentals

  • Meeting rooms

  • Nonprofit partnerships

  • Neighborhood events

  • Classrooms for tutors, counselors, educational programs

Most churches have none of these options. We have all of them.

The Realistic Big Picture: This Is a Miracle-Level Deal for Pasadena

When you combine:

  • The size of the campus

  • The uses permitted

  • The revenue-generating potential

  • The below-market rent

  • The long-term runway

  • The protections we negotiated

  • The location

  • The parking

  • The ministry flexibility

  • The clarity of God’s timing

…it becomes clear that this is the type of opportunity that almost never exists in Pasadena.

This is the kind of property a growing church dreams of — and typically cannot afford.

Yet somehow, the door has opened for Frontier.

Final Summary

The St. James campus is:

  • Financially sustainable

  • Legally protected

  • Ministry-flexible

  • Revenue-capable

  • Long-term secure

  • Geographically ideal

  • Aesthetically meaningful

  • Functionally expansive

  • Economically unprecedented

This is the kind of strategic property opportunity that positions a church not merely to survive but to flourish, form disciples, welcome neighbors, serve families, and embody a faithful presence in its city.

Comparison to Actual Pasadena Options

Here is a hard, market-based look at what else is available:

A. Other Church Buildings

$2–$4/SF, limited use, poor condition, no school allowed.
Most require massive capital improvements.
Almost all have parking limitations.

B. School District Auditoriums

$18k–$35k per month for weekend-only use.
No storage, no access, no midweek ministry.
No long-term stability.

C. Warehouses / Industrial Spaces

$2.50–$3.50/SF + millions in retrofits.
Hard to permit for assembly.
Zero aesthetics.
No parking.

D. Office Buildings

$2.50–$4.00/SF with no sanctuary, no classrooms, no kids ministry space.
No coffee shop, no events, no school.
Requires a CUP (expensive and uncertain).

E. Purchasing a Property

$8–$20M for anything comparable, plus $2–$6M in improvements.
Completely unrealistic for Frontier's current phase.

St. James

  • $1.05/SF all-in

  • A full multi-building campus

  • School-ready

  • Café-ready

  • Wedding/event-ready

  • Tons of parking

  • No CUP

  • Long-term stability

  • Landlord absorbs the biggest building risks

There is no scenario in which a better option appears in the Pasadena market.

It is the right deal.
In the right location.
At the right time.
With the right protections.
For the right mission.

It is hard to see this as anything other than God providing Frontier with a home shaped for its future

Financial Viability Snapshot

St. James Campus – Year One & Year Two

(Operations only — renovations not included)

Year One: Launch + Ramp Year

Monthly Operating Cost (steady-state)

  • ≈ $36,800 / month

    • Rent + NNN

    • Insurance

    • Utilities

    • Cleaning, security, basic event staffing

End of Year One – Conservative Scenario

Monthly Revenue Offsets

  • School: $9,000

  • Coffee (partnership / early phase): $1,500

  • Events & rentals: $2,000

  • Weddings (limited): $2,500

Total Monthly Revenue Offset

  • ≈ $15,000 / month

Net Monthly Covered by Church

  • ≈ $21,800 / month

In Year One, the church is primarily covering base occupancy costs while revenue engines ramp.

End of Year One – Optimistic Scenario

(If weddings gain traction by summer)

Monthly Revenue Offsets

  • School: $9,000

  • Coffee: $2,000

  • Events & rentals: $3,000

  • Weddings (≈ 2/month): $18,000

Total Monthly Revenue Offset

  • ≈ $32,000 / month

Net Monthly Covered by Church

  • ≈ $4,800 / month

With strong wedding demand, the building is nearly self-supporting by the end of Year One.

Year Two: Stabilized + Sustainable Year

Monthly Operating Cost

  • ≈ $36,800 / month (largely unchanged)

End of Year Two – Conservative, Stabilized Scenario

Monthly Revenue Offsets

  • School: $9,000

  • Coffee (in-house or optimized): $2,500

  • Events & rentals: $4,000

  • Weddings (≈ 3/month): $27,000

Total Monthly Revenue Offset

  • ≈ $42,500 / month

Year Two Net Position

  • ≈ $5,700 monthly surplus

  • ≈ $68,000 annual surplus

By Year Two, the campus is projected to cover its own costs and begin contributing back toward reserves and future ownership.

Why This Matters

  • This campus does not function like typical church rent

  • Revenue offsets grow over time while costs stay relatively fixed

  • Weddings and events create meaningful upside

  • Surpluses can be saved toward long-term ownership

The goal is not short-term profit, but long-term stability, flexibility, and stewardship.

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