A church that has been leasing space in a North Versailles movie theater plans to play the lead role in converting a former furniture store into its new home in Monroeville.

The estate of Howard Levin, former president of Levin Furniture, is giving Grace Life Church a vacant 17,775-square-foot store building on William Penn Highway.

A non-denominational church founded 14 years ago by the Rev. Bruce Schafer, Grace Life has never had a permanent home of its own. It has been leasing space for the last three years at the Destinta Theatres.

Grace Life has 300 members and expects to grow if Monroeville gives it the green light to transform the former furniture store into a sanctuary, fellowship hall, children's center and a youth center, church Administrator Marianne Finch said.

"We just want to be a positive force in Monroeville and be the hand of Jesus extended," she said.

The renovations will be paid for through church contributions, said Finch, who declined to disclose the estimated cost of the work.

The 51-year-old former furniture store building and 1 acre of land are assessed at $490,000, according to the Allegheny County Assessor's Office.

Generous, charitable nature

The donation of the property is in line with Levin Furniture President Robert Levin's charitable nature, said Ken Coury, manager of the company's store on Levin Way in Monroeville.

"It's been vacant, but Robert ... he's very much into helping charities and donating if he can," Coury said.

In the past, Levin has donated warehouses and land to Mt. Pleasant for a fire department and recreation area, Levin Chief Financial Officer and Vice President Basil Hawanchak said.

Founded in 1920, Smithton-based Levin has 15 stores in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

After Howard Levin died in 1993, his brother, Robert, took over the company's operations.

Howard Levin purchased the William Penn Highway property in 1985, according to the assessor's office. The store closed in 2004, replaced by the larger store on Levin Way, Coury said.

The older building reopened in 2006, operating for three years as a clearance store before closing again, he said.

The church already has torn down two adjacent William Penn Highway buildings -- a 900-square-foot former Dairy Delight building and a 2,592-square-foot former car wash -- to make room for 44 parking spaces, said Mark Ciufo, Monroeville zoning and code enforcement officer. Levin Family Partnership owned those buildings.

Monroeville council and the planning commission must approve Grace Life's redevelopment plans before any work can begin. At the request of Grace Life, the commission has tabled a vote three times since July so that the church can address flood-plain requirements and other issues, Ciufo said.

The commission now would vote on Tuesday and council the week after, Ciufo said.

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