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former church in Galveston County, damaged by Hurricane Harvey, is being redeveloped into the headquarters of ELS Construction. The Houston-based general contractor acquired the abandoned First Baptist Church of Dickinson on FM 517 Road East to create office space and potentially retail and restaurant areas. James Brockway represented ELS in the land sale, while Lisa Kurrass and Ronnie Orman represented the church.

    The purchase was driven by ELS's need for a larger office space as it expanded its business. The company had been operating out of 6,500 square feet in Nassau Bay but required at least 10,000 square feet to accommodate new hires. Redeveloping the vacant church proved more practical than expanding their existing office.

    Work on the 44,000-square-foot former church has been slow since ELS acquired it in June last year. The company secured a $2 million construction loan from Farm Bureau Bank and plans to move into an 11,500-square-foot pre-engineered metal building within eight months. The project's total cost is estimated at between $3 million and $3.5 million.

    The redevelopment includes plans for a green space, updated parking lots, and the potential conversion of a smaller building into retail space. Architect Marcus Rives Design Build is overseeing the renovation. The project is part of a larger transformation in Dickinson, with nearby developments such as Parkview and Bayou Village underway.