Whatever happened to the former LexCity Church property on Lexington’s south side?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- LexCity Church closed in July 2024 after its pastor was charged with sex crimes.
- Ukrainian Pentecostal Church bought the property in November for $9 million.
- Two-acre parcel sold for senior housing; 45-unit complex opens in spring 2026.
Editor’s note: “Whatever Happened To” is a new Herald-Leader feature updating readers on prominent stories that grabbed headlines and attention. Have an idea? Contact managing editor Alex Valentine at avalentine@herald-leader.com.
In the past year-plus, there’s been significant turnover for a major property on Lexington’s south side.
In July 2024, LexCity Church, a large church at 410 Sporting Court near Fayette Mall with more than 4,000 followers on its Facebook page, announced it was permanently shutting down. The announcement came about a week after former pastor Zachary King was charged with raping a minor.
King, 48, was indicted on seven counts of felony sex crimes, according to court records. His case is ongoing in Fayette Circuit Court.
After LexCity Church, formerly called Quest, announced the closure, the church’s lender contacted Schrader Commercial Properties to sell the 13.8-acre property.
James Schrader, owner and principal broker of the commercial real estate firm, sold the property to a new church that garners large congregations of its own. The church owns the large building on the property, the 600-space parking lot to the west and the grass field to the west of the parking lot.
Before the property was put on the market, LexCity Church also sold a 2-acre parcel of land to AU Associates, a Lexington-based affordable housing developer. The company is constructing affordable housing units for senior citizens, set to open in spring 2026.
Here’s the latest on 410 Sporting Court.
Ukrainian Pentecostal Church
Schrader sold the church building in November 2024 to the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church, which was previously at 1101 Brannon Road.
The original asking price was $8.95 million, and it sold for $9 million.
The property includes a 93,328-square-foot building used for church services and other activities, as well as 600 parking spaces. The deal also included all the items inside the building, such as audio and video and recording equipment, furniture and television sets.
The Ukrainian Church’s property borders the AU Associates’ planned affordable housing complex and Ashland Baptist Church, to the south of the complex and the church’s property.
Schrader said there were several people interested in the property, but the Ukrainian church offered the best deal for bondholders.
“I think we got the best possible outcome,” Schrader said. “The Ukrainians are able to use it. The bondholders were largely satisfied. You got the affordable housing going up in the back. In the end, it turned out to be a very positive outcome with the disposition of the property.”
Ivan Timoshchuk, treasurer of Ukrainian Pentecostal Church, said they were at their former location for 15 years and in need of additional space. The church has around 1,400 members, but it draws about 2,500 people for its Sunday services.
Ukrainian Pentecostal Church moved into the Sporting Court location in late spring and has been adjusting to the additional space.
“It’s a little bit different because it’s so big,” Timoshchuk said. “Everybody is trying to get used to it, but so far so good. We are really pleased with the purchase.”
The church has now condensed the number of its Sunday services to two — one in the morning and one in the evening. Before moving to Sporting Court, the church used to have two morning services to accommodate all the guests.
The auditorium at the Sporting Court property has about 2,400 seats, which is much larger than the 1,000-seat auditorium the church had on Brannon Road.
“They’re certainly utilizing the property, and I think they’re meeting the needs of the Ukrainian population here outside of the church as well,” Schrader said.
About 5,000 people of Ukrainian descent live in Central Kentucky, primarily in Nicholasville.
Wellington Park Apartments
The senior citizen affordable housing complex being built next to the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church’s property will be called Wellington Park Apartments. Construction on the development began in late 2024 and is expected to be finished in spring 2026.
The development will feature 45 units, said Johan Graham, owner and president of AU Associates. The complex will consist of 33 single-bedroom apartments and 12 double-bedroom apartments.
Graham said his company bought the 2-acre parcel from LexCity Church before they closed. The roof of the building was recently completed, and the next major construction task will be installing insulation and drywall.
“As a Lexington-based company that only does affordable housing, we’re always really excited to keep doing more things in our backyard,” Graham said.
The development was funded by Kentucky Housing Corp., Lexington’s Infrastructure and Affordable Housing Fund, according to Rick McQuady, manager for the affordable housing program in Lexington. In total, construction costs are about $11.2 million.
McQuady said the project was enthusiastically received by the affordable housing governing board because of the need for affordable housing for seniors, and the location of the development on Lexington’s south side.
“We’re very excited about this,” McQuady said. “It’s going to be a tremendous benefit for the residents and the community.”
The need for affordable housing for seniors is dire. Graham said the other senior affordable housing units owned by AU Associates are full, and McQuady said every affordable housing development for seniors that the board has funded was leased much faster than what the developer predicted.
“The demand is high,” Graham said. “We have a population here that’s desperately in need of all types of housing, so it’s a win for the city and win for us as a company.”
Graham said he doesn’t plan to open applications for Wellington Park Apartments until 2026, but he is already receiving interest from the community.
“We’re already getting calls,” Graham said. “We have an inquiry list, so once we officially open the application process, we’ll mail and communicate with all those people who got on the inquiry list first.”
Seniors interested in Wellington Park Apartments can join the inquiry list by calling AU Associates at 859-233-2009.
Part of the construction included building an access road from Wellington Way to Sporting Court to access the apartments. Graham said construction of the road is complete, but it is not open to the public yet.
Update on King’s court case
King’s case in Fayette Circuit Court is still pending as of Aug. 26, according to court records. He is charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sexual activity, third-degree rape, third-degree sodomy, first-degree sexual abuse and unlawful transaction with a minor.
King is accused of raping a 15-year-old for more than a year between January 2023 and this April 2024. The incidents happened at the pastor’s home, the minor’s home and at the former pastor’s church, according to court documents.
King resigned from the church after being confronted by church staff over allegations of an improper relationship with a minor, according to court documents.
King was released from custody after posting a $250,000 bond. His trial is scheduled to begin March 23, 2026, according to court records.
King is scheduled to appear in court for a status hearing Nov. 13, according to court records.
This story was originally published August 28, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
