RAE TYSON

DELMARVANOW CORRESPONDENT

A controversial plan to convert a historic Belltown church into a restaurant and brewpub has apparently been shelved.

The church property is back on the market nine months after the Sussex County Council approved a plan from Beachfire Brewery Co. to place a restaurant and microbrewery in the historic building. The company already owns a microbrewery in west Rehoboth Beach under the name Revelation Craft Brewing.

But Jack Lingo listing agent Tracy Kelley said the real estate transaction never went to settlement and church trustees elected to put the property back on the market.

"Everything was set to go but it never made it to closing," Kelley said.

Historic records show that the John Wesley United Methodist Church property on Route 9 near Five Points dates to the 1800s and was part of a once vibrant African American community in Belltown.

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The plan to convert the former church met with some opposition earlier this year, primarily from those who had ties to the Belltown community. The property had been put on the market by trustees of Faith United Methodist Church, the current owner.

Speaking at a Sussex County hearing on the project, former resident and parishioner Victoria Gibbs said: "This is where I learned about the Lord. We don’t need it, we don’t want it and we don’t like it."

"We are turning the house of prayer into a den of thieves," said Braven Duffy, a retired pastor.

Despite opposition, the conversion was approved by Sussex County, paving the way for a project that was promoted as a way of preserving the heritage of the deteriorating church structure.

"Part of what we do will be providing that education of Belltown history," said Harry Metcalfe, one of the investors involved in the project.

READ MORE: Brewery may be Belltown church's saving grace

The current asking price is $499,000 and includes two parcels of land and an estimated 185-foot frontage on Route 9, a stone's throw from busy Coastal Highway.

Revelation Craft Brewing is co-owned by Patrick Staggs and local investor Metcalfe, who was the spokesman for the project during public hearings.

Staggs said they have not abandoned the project, which involves six separate parcels of land.

"It hasn't fallen through but it has taken a lot longer than we expected," he said.

Staggs said they were still hoping to salvage the Belltown church conversion.

"That project is the reason we started our company in the first place," he said.

Staggs said part of the delay is related to financing of the project, which has been complicated — and delayed — by the need to reach agreement with multiple property owners.

Meanwhile, a purchase contract on the church property expired before they could resolve outstanding issues.

Staggs said he and Metcalfe are continuing to work on financing and, if resolved, they intend to make another purchase offer on the historic church.

"We hope we will have a definitive answer in the next couple of weeks," he said.

Meanwhile, Kelley said the church property has already drawn some investor attention.

"We have had a lot of interest already," she said.

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