New nightclub set to open inside old church in downtown Houston

The former First Church of Christ, Scientist building at 1720 Main will soon be turned into a nightclub by its new owners, July 2016. The former First Church of Christ, Scientist building at 1720 Main will soon be turned into a nightclub by its new owners, July 2016. Photo: Keven Alvarado Photo: Keven Alvarado Image 1 of / 62 Caption Close New nightclub set to open inside old church in downtown Houston 1 / 62 Back to Gallery

We're learning a bit more about the future of the former First Church of Christ, Scientist building at 1720 Main.

Opened in 1961 on land the church owned for more than 100 years, the structure went on the market in January and sold earlier this year. It now appears that its future includes loud booming electronic music and pretty people lining up around the block.

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The guys behind popular nightlife hotspots Clé, Saint Dane's, Christian's Tailgate, and other projects plan on having the building renovated and ready to use by the end of the year.

Clé is just a few blocks south along the METRO line at 2301 Main.

The new club will be known as Spire, which owner Zack Truesdell says is a nod to the golden spire on the top of the existing church. Real estate blog Swamplot has been doing a great job of keeping tabs on the building for its readers.

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"The main goal is to get it ready for the Super Bowl," Truesdell says.

According to the new owner, the 11,000-square-foot building, on about one-third acre at the southern edge of downtown, is a lot bigger on the inside than it appears. The 15,625-square-foot site had been listed for $2.25 million.

The structure was designed by Texas architect Milton Foy Martin.

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Spire won't be strictly a music venue but Truesdell says he hopes it will be booked 60 percent of the time with electronic dance music acts.

Maybe the old pulpit area can be the DJ booth.

"We're working to keep the integrity of the building and we've brought things back from the original plans," he says. The property consisted of a sanctuary and a school.

His longtime partners -- Andy Estes, Salim Dehkordi and Dallas Rodriguez -- are his main operators in the project.

Truesdell is a longtime veteran of the Houston nightclub scene, stretching back to Power Tools in the mid-'90s, which was known as a hub for industrial music and dance nights.

Real estate reporter Nancy Sarnoff contributed to this report