“Christopher Petrick never thought he would turn to a church for a pickleball court and club, but the 38,000-square-foot lot with high ceilings and clear space spoke to him.
“The former St. Cornelius Church in Jefferson Park had been empty for four years when Petrick decided to buy it for $1.35 million last year and turn it into a pickleball court for him and his buddies. The concept evolved into a full-fledged ’60s-style club in all its grooviness, featuring a billiard room, spa, and offices for its members to work-from-club.
“‘It’s definitely fun and funky,’ said Petrick, CEO of Franklin Park-based Bretford Manufacturing, who formed an LLC for the business called Dink Enterprises.
“Think David Bowie meets midcentury-modern church. The club, which is expected to open in early 2026 with around 50 members, will feature a ’60s vintage vibe with bright orange spinning chairs and olive-green mushroom lamps. The interior design is led by designer Nicole Alexander, founder of Siren Betty Design, who aims to blend the former church’s original architecture, including its warm wood tones and colorful mosaics, with a retro flair.
“We’re really embracing the existing architecture,’ Alexander said, ‘and paying it respect without feeling too religious, which is making sure it’s just a fun place to be. ‘
“What was once an altar is proposed to become a swanky cocktail bar with the word ‘soul’ in neon letters overlooking the pickleball courts, which will be divided by planter boxes made out of former pews. The original stained glass windows will stay, and new ones by local artist Casey Alexander will be added.
“‘It really was just a match made in heaven,’ Nicole Alexander said. ‘We just loved the architecture of the space and taking this beautiful existing structure, and giving it a new life.’
“Called Church Club, the site will also include a 32-car parking lot and a 15,000-square-foot public event space with a stage and beverage center available by reservation. Other amenities include pinball games, a vinyl record room, and lounge areas with vintage brown-leather couches and other flourishes to make visitors feel as though they are in 1960s Motown.
“The church’s exterior and architectural renovations are led by Edward Torrez from Chicago-based Arda Designs, which specializes in historic preservation. Torrez’s work includes the preservation of Emmett Till’s 1950s childhood home in Woodlawn and Indiana’s Roosevelt High School, built in 1930. Renovations include new roofing, tiling and landscaping for a more modern look, ‘so that when you walk by, you think it’s still an active church,’ Petrick said.
“St. Cornelius Church, located at 5430 W. Foster Ave., was built in 1964 with a capacity of 750 people. By the ’80s, over 2,500 families attended its Masses, and a large influx of Filipino and Hispanic residents constituted its worshipper base. The church merged with St. Tarcissus and St. Thecla in 2020, after citing a 56% decline in Sunday Mass attendance. But by 2021 the church was de-sacralized, effectively making it available for sale.
“More than 120 Catholic churches have closed or merged in Chicago since 2018, according to a 2022 NBC 5 Chicago report. Several churches have been bought by commercial real estate developers, following a trend in church-to-residential building conversions as the city’s population grows. Others have simply languished in vacancy as attendance declined, including Pope Leo’s childhood church, St. Mary of the Assumption on the South Side, where he served as an altar boy.” (Turbay, Crain’s Chicago Business, 6/23/25)
Read the full story at Crain’s Chicago Business
- Former Jefferson Park church to get funky ’60s makeover as club and pickleball court, Laura Turbay, Crain’s Chicago Business, 6/23/25
- Closed Catholic Church To Become Indoor Pickleball Clubhouse; Along with two full pickleball courts, the Jefferson Park club will have billiards and dart rooms, workspaces and a commercial kitchen, developers said, Noah Asimow, Block Club Chicago, 6/3/25
- Old church building on Chicago’s Northwest Side to be transformed into pickleball club, Noel Brennan, CBS News Chicago, 6/3/25
- Council okays pickleball club for former St. Cornelius Church, Dunkin’ next to Trinity Lutheran, Brian Nadig, Nadig Newspapers, 5/31/25
- Renovation Permit Issued To Transform Jefferson Park’s St. Cornelius Church Into Pickleball Facility, Daniel Schell, Chicago YIMBY, 5/21/25