What happens when a big box retailer goes out of business and leaves vacant a sizable chunk of commercial real estate? Apparently, you can open a church:

A megachurch — complete with an arcade, a cafe with Starbucks and a bookstore — will open this weekend in an unlikely spot: the former Home Quarters store in a once-struggling strip mall on Van Dyke near 14 Mile.

Grace Christian Church spent $15 million to transform the longtime vacant big-box store into an estimated 1,600-seat main sanctuary with activities geared toward children and a quiet area for people to sit and read.

“We want going to church to be an enjoyable and enriching experience for the whole family,” said Senior Pastor Jerry Weinzierl, 50, of Warren. “Even if someone comes in for the wrong reason, I can maybe make an impact on them for that moment.

“This will be a very peaceful place.”

(More from the Detroit News.)

This is a pretty awesome redevelopment plan. Big box retailers are often cited for taking prime real estate and ignoring the needs of a community. This is a great way to turn a negative (vacant commercial property) and turn it around, serving the community and, I’m sure, anchoring redevelopment in that area.

Kudos to the Grace Christian Church for their (pardon the pun) out of the (big) box thinking in terms of location.

If readers know of other examples of vacant retailers being converted into a church, or anything civic-minded like this, please share it.