For the first time since it opened nearly 40 years ago, a 2,800-seat auditorium Downtown is undergoing a $3 million renovation.
It’s not the Florida Theatre. It’s not a venue at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts. And it’s not inside any of the office towers.
It’s the Ruth Lindsay Auditorium at First Baptist Church Jacksonville.
When the project is complete in February, there will be a new stage and seats; state-of-the-art HDTV, stage lighting and audio systems; LED lighting; and new wall and floor finishes.
“It’s a back-to-the-bones redo,” said the Rev. John Blount, senior executive pastor.
The renovated auditorium will continue to be used for Wednesday night services and group events, he said.
The general contractor on the job, Perry-McCall Construction Co., completed in 2011 the $2.6 million renovation of the church’s 10,000-seat main auditorium.
The current project follows a $2 million renovation of three floors of classrooms and a music room in the preschool building next door to the auditorium.
Those are just some of the investments in Downtown made by First Baptist.
The church was established in 1838, 16 years after the settlement along the St. Johns River took the name Jacksonville. In 1892, First Baptist settled in its present location near Hogan and Church streets.
The Great Fire of 1901 destroyed the original church building. In February 1903, the cornerstone was laid for a new structure on the site and about one year later the first services were conducted in the Hobson Auditorium.
It served as the church’s primary worship center until 1976, when the Lindsay Auditorium was finished.
In 1940, Homer G. Lindsay Sr. became First Baptist’s 20th pastor. The church was in debt to the point that the lender foreclosed on its seven-story education building.
Three years later, Lindsay had revived the congregation and its finances and First Baptist has remained debt-free since.
His son, Homer G. Lindsay Jr., became co-pastor in 1969 and served alongside his father until the elder Lindsay retired in 1975.
The department stores and smaller retailers started abandoning Downtown in the late 1960s when suburban malls were developed. First Baptist saw an opportunity to acquire Downtown real estate. By 1988, nine buildings were either purchased or constructed.
“That allowed us to purchase property and build-out a campus that would not otherwise have been possible,” said Blount.
With ownership of nine square blocks and small parcels in two other blocks, First Baptist is the second-largest Downtown landowner. Only the city owns more acreage in the urban core.
“We sense our identity is tied to Downtown and we’re committed to Downtown. That’s why we invest in these facilities,” Blount said.
First Baptist’s role in Downtown revitalization will continue. While it’s too soon to reveal details of the church’s next acquisition or upgrade, Blount said, the investment won’t stop when the auditorium project is complete.
“We have more projects planned,” he said. “We’d love to be part of Downtown’s infill development.”
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