A significant church in Waterloo is moving after being in its current location since 1971, according to the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. Walnut Ridge Baptist Church plans to move out of its current building on Ridgeway Avenue, which it shares with Waterloo Christian School, and into the former Grainger Industries building in Tower Park. Pastor Tom Hlad says they currently have about 130 people attending services on Sunday and the building has become too large for them. While the congregation has gone down, the population of Waterloo Christian has more than doubled since 2020. There were 166 students in 2020, there are 350 students registered for the 2024-25 school year, with a waiting list for every grade, according to Principal Ryan Hall. The school was reportedly in agreement with Panther Builders to rent out the old Cedar Falls High School, it is unclear if that agreement still exists. Cedar Falls moves into their new school this Fall. The Walnut Ridge church is currently on the market for $4.3 million. Once that sells the church will purchase the Grainger building which is on the market for $2.8 million. The church says that the Grainger building will need some work to turn it from a call center into a worship space.
