According to published reports, the 4,000-member CottonwoodChristian Center has purchased land in the redevelopment area forthe construction of a new worship center, youth center, bookstore,coffee shop, bookstore, conference rooms and a licensed pre-school.Members of the church, led by Pastor Bayless Conley, held a prayergathering on the 18-acre site Sunday, hoping to convince the CityCouncil to allow them to build.

However, Cypress mayor Anna Piercy says she told church memberswhen they purchased the property that there would be no guaranteethey would be granted a building permit.

As reported by GlobeSt.com on November 3, the City Counciladopted an urgency ordinance on October 30 placing a 45-daymoratorium freezing all development around the redevelopment areato give city staff time to study a proposed change in the land useof the property, from professional office buildings to retail spaceand a restaurant row. The proposed development, called Town Center,and would be similar to such developments as The Block, the IrvineMarketplace and the Aliso Viejo Town Center. Such a change wouldrequire an amendment to the city's Specific Plan and also wouldrequire putting the proposed amendment to a vote of the citizenryas mandated under Measure D, which was passed in 1987.