An abandoned historical building that began as Cary's first movie theater is an eyesore no longer. Renovated by Connections Church, the former South Hills Twin Cinema on Buck Jones Road now serves as a unique, multi-purpose facility available to the community.

"Our vision is to create a community space that will be used more than just Sunday mornings," said Fred Turner, senior pastor of Connections Church, which manages the building. "For decades, Cary residents flocked to this location to connect with other people - whether to watch movies or workout together. We want to revive that tradition."

The building, located at 1280 Buck Jones Road, was built in 1973 as Cary's first movie theater and stayed in operation until 1994. The space was reborn in 1995 as a fitness gym and continued helping Cary residents stay in shape until 2006, when Beyond Fitness closed it down. It sat abandoned until Connections Church and new investors took it over in 2008.

After 10 months of renovations and countless volunteer work hours by Connections Church members, the desolate shell was finally turned into a vibrant, unique community meeting space. The church held its first service in the building on March 29, 2009.

The building includes 13,400 square feet of event space, including three meeting rooms that will easily fit 30, 40, and 60 people respectively. The main, central auditorium has room for 250 people and includes a sound and projection system. Please contact Shane Bazer at 919-859-2226 for more information about using this facility.

Connections Church is a non-denominational church in Raleigh that is about connecting to God, to each other, and to the world. Join them in their new space on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. for gourmet coffee, contemporary music, and a teaching conversation that connects faith with everyday life. There's plenty of excitement for children, an incredible group of teens, plenty of young adults and older adults from Raleigh, Cary and around the world. Come as you are! For more information, visit www.raleighchurch.org.