A fast-growing church is moving into the former McNally Smith College of Music building in downtown St. Paul.

River Valley Church has a one-year lease with an option to renew. It will hold its first worship services at 9:30 and 11 a.m. Sunday.

Founded in Rosemount in 1995, River Valley now records a live service every Saturday in Apple Valley and replays it Sunday mornings at nine locations. They say nearly 10,000 people attend services each weekend.

Lead pastor Rob Ketterling said the megachurch was raising money in anticipation of opening a St. Paul campus when McNally Smith abruptly closed in December.

“When that came open we were thrilled,” Ketterling said, citing the central location and light-rail access of the building, which is located on the block bounded by 10th, Cedar, Exchange and Wabasha streets.

Ketterling said the prospect of buying the building hasn’t come up, but they intend to be somewhere in the city long-term.

“We see it as cheaper and more cost effective right now” to lease, he said. “We’re coming to St. Paul to stay in St Paul … so eventually we’ll need a venue.”

The church is investing $250,000 into the launch. That’ll cover the lease, broadcast equipment and improvements to children’s programming space, as well as an expected short-term operating loss as they grow into the location.

Have you heard the great news?

We officially have a venue for our brand new campus in St. Paul, opening September 23! Former McNally Building

19 East Exchange Street

St. Paul, MN#StPaul pic.twitter.com/7vnLmbMln1 — River Valley Church (@rivervalleymn) August 29, 2018

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The for-profit music college closed when it ran out of money and failed to make the conversion to a non-profit school. A bankruptcy judge in June approved the building’s sale to Exchange Street Partners, a local group of investors who had bought the $4.5 million mortgage from Bremer Bank.

The group hasn’t publicly discussed its long-term plans for the building, which formerly housed part of the Science Museum of Minnesota before its 1999 relocation to Kellogg Boulevard.

Like River Valley, the History Theatre has a short-term lease for a portion of the building. Their performances will not overlap with church services.