MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- A vacant church on Milwaukee's Northwest side is being turned into a community center. A couple recently purchased the building that takes up almost an entire block, hoping to make it into a place for the homeless, a place for education and resources for people in need.

The church is 105,000 square feet at 4700 N. 39th Street. Its a place investor Gathan Anderson and his fiance Jennifer Pease see a lot of opportunity in.

Anderson says, “We’re naming it Build Center, for economic recovery. That’s from us seeing people under the bridge last year and spent time with them, and just knowing Milwaukee and how impoverished it is, what can we do to make a difference?”

Anderson says in looking for that answer, somehow the building chose them. The church has been in the neighborhood since 1949 and up until two years ago, it was both a church and school, with a housing unit for people with AIDS.

With over 15 years of real estate experience, Anderson says he decided to take the risk and invest his resources and knowledge into this project, making the old church into a community center.

They plan to offer free housing for the homeless, after-school programs, transportation to workplace, grocery stores and doctor appointments. They also plan to have an array of educational resources including stockbroker training, real estate training, computer coding and carpentry training.

Anderson's fiance, Jennifer Pease, has a passion for social work and says it’s time to help people themselves instead of referring them to others.

“I was tired of taking people to different services,” says Pease, “them getting turned away and not getting the help they need so we wanted to create a space where everyone can come to and get everything they need and take their life to the next level.”

The couple purchased the property in February and have been working on renovations since. Anderson says to completely rebuild it would take almost $13 million dollars, but since the building is in decent shape, they’re rehabbing it instead.

The church's old housing unit has at least ten rooms and a commercial kitchen.

With another 44 units on the other side of the church, and not to mention the attached school, with 38 classrooms that will also be converted into living spaces.

“We don't want people under a bridge this winter you know? The church holds about 1500, the middle building holds 44, the school can hold at least 2,000 so theres no reason for anyone to really be homeless.”

People in the community have been coming by all week to help clear the debris and to get the place ready for some major renovations.

The University of Wisconsin Madison has already donated 50 bedroom sets. They’ve also received bedding donations by the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Madison. The couple has also secured bedding from another hotel in Madison that will help them shelter thousands of people in need.

Pease is encouraging all big corporations in the city to take a part in this community project, she is even calling on the Milwaukee Bucks to reach out if they want to help.