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So, there use to be this place in Melbourne called Steamworks,it was a sauna for the gays. Â But it’s gone.
Now a church has bought the land and they’re going to develop it.
The Coptic Orthodox Church wants to erect a 42 storey tower, how excitement.
The new centre would provide a place of worship for its 18,000 followers and offer financial and spiritual support to the church’s mission in Fiji.
The planning application includes a 360-seat worship area, bookshop and soup kitchen. The building will also have 280 apartments.
And the going price to erect a 42 storey building in Melbourne for a church, a mere $80 million dollars.
I like the fact that it will offer financial and spiritual support, is that code for we’re going to make a stack of money out of this and also have a nice new church to pray for the poor in.  And who’s the 280 apartments for?  I bet it won’t be for the homeless, because then they’d say it was a 360 seat church, a bookshop, a soup kitchen and cheap accommodation for the homeless.
And where’s the 80 mill coming from? Â Will they get a heap of concessions? Â Will they be exempt from taxes and rates?
Churches that take up property development aren’t so focussed on the spiritual needs of the faithful.  Gone are the days of putting money in the plate for their good works.  The new way is to fleece you by charging rent under the pretence that the dough is going to a good cause.
It’s good to know that the magic priests will have a nice place to hang their dresses.