Will Noah's Ark be docking at the Shipyards? - Jacksonville Business Journal

Stephen Grenda, a former deacon, self-proclaimed spiritual healer and the third candidate to submit a proposal for the redevelopment of the Shipyards, said the idea for a life-size replica of Noah's Ark came to him a year ago when the Lord asked him to build a healing and miracle temple for the city of Jacksonville.

“God talks to me through a small voice in my head," said Grenda, who identifies himself as a non-denominational Christian. "I have seen angels. Angels are men, they’re not women and they don’t have wings. They walk around like a person just like you or me. Everybody I have prayed for in the last 35 years has been healed through God. I’m just doing his work.”
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Why did you decide to submit plans for the property?
"I’m a man of God, for one thing. I was ordained as a deacon for the second largest church in Jacksonville (New Covenant Ministries). I’ve been blessed with the gift to heal. The Lord came to me a year ago and told me he wanted to build a healing and miracle temple as a stationary site because he’s been sending me all over the place to serve people. It’s all for God’s glory. I’m not going to make a penny off this thing. It’s all going to the city of Jacksonville."

What are your plans for the Shipyards?
"It’s a place where Christian believers can come together and meet with one another and spread the word of God. Along with the healing temple — which will be about 50 to 60 feet wide, and include five fully-equipped hospices with on-duty nurses and an oncologist — there will be a couple of volleyball courts, picnic tables with barbecues, as well as a life-size replica of Noah's Ark that would house a restaurant on top of the deck, with outside seating. And below, where the animals would be, will be a concert hall for Christian music. While the concerts are being held, the restaurant will be closed because of weight issues. The heavier equipment, such as the stoves, will be on the ground floor and we’ll use a large stainless steel dumbwaiter to bring the food up. The ark will be 531 feet long."

Will Noah's Ark be docking at the Shipyards? - Jacksonville Business Journal