Mars Hill Church on the market for $8 million

According to the Commercial Brokers Association, the Ballard location of Mars Hill Church (1401-1500 NW Leary Way) is now on the market for the price of $8 million.

The 39,182 square foot property was built in 1975 and is currently being listed with Colliers International. According to the CBA, the owners are looking to lease back the property from the new owners once it is sold.

According to an article by our news partners The Seattle Times, Mars Hill Church has also been “reeling” since the Pastor Mark Driscoll resigned on Wednesday “amid allegations of bullying and domineering behavior.”

The Seattle Times reports that Driscoll faced a variety of allegations in recent months including charges of bullying, abusive behavior, plagiarism and overseeing the mismanagement of church funds.

Driscoll co-founded Mars Hill Church in 1996, growing the organization from a bible study group that met in his Wallingford home into, at one stage, a church with 15 branches in five states.

Driscoll wrote a letter, which included the following statement, on Religion News Service site on Wednesday:

By God’s grace I have pastored Mars Hill Church for 18 years,” Driscoll said in his resignation letter, printed on the . “Today, also by God’s grace, and with the full support of my wife Grace, I resign my position as pastor and elder of Mars Hill. I do so with profound sadness, but also with complete peace.

According to the article, Driscoll had been on leave since August 24 while church elders were conducting a formal investigation of charges brought against him by 21 former pastors. Driscoll stated in his letter that there had been “no charges of criminal activity, immorality or heresy.”

In addition to putting the Ballard church location on the market, Mars Hill Church has been attempting to sell its corporate headquarters along 14th Ave NW between NW49th and 50th streets. According to The Seattle Times, the church is asking $7.75 million for the properties it purchased in 2005 for $3.2 million. Mars Hill Church also recently put up their worship facility in Sammamish for sale, asking $8.75 million for the 30,800-square-foot building and 22 acres of land.

The article also reports that the former University Baptist Church, bought by Mars Hill in 2010, is also under contract and could close before the end of the year for $4 million.

Photo courtesy of the Commercial Brokers Association.