Illuminate Community Church has spent $10 million on a 3.65-acre parcel at 17600 N. Perimeter Drive in Scottsdale, picking up a parking lot that sits squarely between its own campus and a planned luxury car garage next door. The church bought the land from Finish Line Arizona LLC on November 2, marking the nondenominational Christian congregation's third property acquisition in the past five years.
The deal was reported by KTAR News 92.3 FM, citing data from Vizzda, a Tempe-based real estate database. According to that reporting, the church put $3 million down and financed the remaining $7 million through Cass Commercial Bank. The newly acquired parcel is described as a parking lot adjacent to the church's two existing buildings and to the Finish Line Auto Club's luxury car garage project.
A Pattern of North Scottsdale Spending
This isn't Illuminate's first big real estate move in the area. The church's total investment across its properties now sits at nearly $30 million, and Phoenix Business Journal reports the congregation has spent more than $27 million on north Scottsdale properties since 2021.
That spending history traces back to the church's purchase of its current home. Scottsdale.org previously reported that Illuminate agreed to buy its 31,000-square-foot building at 17800 N. Perimeter Drive for $10.75 million from a New York City moving company, putting $3.3 million down at the time. The outlet also described the congregation as numbering a little over 1,000 people.
The Neighbor Building a $90 Million Garage
The parcel's other neighbor is the real draw for car enthusiasts watching the area. Finish Line Auto Club is building a $90 million luxury car garage project on the former Fender Musical Instruments Corp. headquarters site, with demolition of the old Fender building starting in September, according to the same KTAR reporting.
Sources differ on exactly how big that garage project will end up. KTAR's reporting describes a 140,000-square-foot development with six buildings and a four-level, 21,000-square-foot clubhouse, while Connect CRE describes a five-building, 140,000-square-foot facility with a 20,000-square-foot clubhouse. Connect CRE also reports that Finish Line Auto Club acquired a 10-acre parcel at 17600 N. Perimeter Center Drive for $20.7 million from Tryperion Holdings.
Per the KTAR account, the Finish Line Auto Club development was originally planned for a 7-acre site, leaving the firm with flexibility on an excess 3.5-acre parcel — the same stretch of land that ultimately became the church's parking lot purchase. A groundbreaking event for the auto garage was planned for Monday, November 16.
Developers Frame It as Good Neighbors
Tony Principe, speaking about the deal, said Finish Line Auto Club had established a strong relationship with the church and looked forward to being long-term neighbors, according to the same KTAR reporting. The zoning picture around the broader site remains layered: a City of Scottsdale eServices case listing describes a request for a zoning district map amendment to amend a previously approved development plan, including amended development standards, on an approximately 16.6-acre parcel at 17600 N. Perimeter Drive zoned I-1 PCD.
