Eagle Brook Church buys land, looks to build campus in Plymouth

Eagle Brook Church will open its new downtown Minneapolis location on Sunday, and the megachurch isn't done expanding.

The church recently signed a purchase agreement for a plot of land in Plymouth where it plans to build a permanent home for its west metro campus.

"We are excited to have a permanent campus so we can continue serving this community and helping people grow in their faith," said the church's senior pastor, Jason Strand.

Eagle Brook has been holding services at Wayzata High School for the past five years. With attendance up 32% since opening, the church has been looking for a site to build a new facility. Last year, Eagle Brook withdrew plans to buy property in a Minnetonka neighborhood after residents pushed back over concerns about increased traffic.

Plymouth officials confirmed the church bought about 35 acres of farmland on the northwest corner of Chankahda Trail and Maple Grove Parkway near Meadow Ridge Elementary School. Eagle Brook has not submitted a building application and the city has not yet approved plans for the church, said Chloe McGuire, the city's planning and development manager.

"We are working with Eagle Brook Church on a traffic study," she said.

Eagle Brook officials in a statement said they are "committed to being a good neighbor" and hope to begin construction in early 2024 with an opening set for mid- to late 2025. The church will hold an informational meeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20 at Wayzata High School.

The Plymouth property is the church's latest acquisition. Last year, Eagle Brook bought the former River City Church at 1021 Hennepin Av. and on Sunday will hold its first services in the downtown building that opened in 1886. River City was previously known as First Baptist Church before changing its name in 2022.

In November, Eagle Brook will open its 12th location when it begins holding services in the former LifePoint Church in Maplewood. That congregation folded after 150 years and sold its building at 2220 Edgerton St. to Eagle Brook.

Eagle Brook was founded in White Bear Lake in 1948. Along with its main campus in Lino Lakes, the church has added locations in Woodbury, Lake­ville, Wayzata, Ham Lake, Anoka, Blaine and Spring Lake Park in the metro area, and one in Rochester. The vision is to have a campus within 20 minutes of every Twin Cities resident.

About 20,000 people attend in-person services each week across the existing 10 campuses, and thousands more tune in online, according to the church's 2023 annual report posted on its website. Offerings totaled just under $58 million last year. About 20% of that is used for campus expansion and capital, the report says.