SAN DIEGO _ The golden-hued limestone facade rising above the freeway in San Diego came straight from a century-old quarry in Israel. The domed motion-seat theater, housed within the meandering 18-acre resort, draws inspiration from Disney alums.
And those dancing, multicolored fountains at the project's front door? Their muse was the now-iconic Bellagio water show in Vegas.
Welcome to Legacy International Center, a $190 million Bible-themed resort rooted in a vision that 88-year-old pentecostal preacher Morris Cerullo says was handed down by God. Widely known for his overseas crusades and worldwide ministering for the last 70 years, the longtime televangelist has relocated the headquarters of Morris Cerullo World Evangelism to the retreat in San Diego's Mission Valley section. The project was built debt-free, financed with a combination of donations from thousands of Cerullo's followers and proceeds from the sale of ministry assets, including the organization's former San Diego offices.
An intriguing high-tech mash-up of religious-themed attractions, museum-quality exhibits, meeting space, and luxury lodging, Cerullo's Legacy center made its public debut on Saturday as part of a grandiose Christmas tree-lighting ceremony choreographed with digital LED lights, holiday music and illuminated, 30-foot-tall fountains. Much of the resort, though, including mural-lined catacombs, an interactive world globe, the dome theater, and a 126-room hotel, will be off-limits until February.
Seven years in the making, the Legacy center, located on Hotel Circle South, marks a dramatic transformation of a once nondescript site off Interstate 8 that had been home to a '60s-era motel, a gym and mini-mart. The now striking complex of low-rise stone and glass buildings that have taken shape over the last two years holds the promise of drawing tourists to an area that has traditionally been more of a way station for visitors heading to attractions outside Mission Valley.
"Historically, Mission Valley has been a place where families go to stay on the cheap while you take your kids to SeaWorld and the zoo, and this project is changing all that," said land-use consultant Gary London, who worked with the Cerullo organization very early on to assess the feasibility of the hotel portion of the project. "This is such a departure from the usual project for this area, and it's not just an architectural upgrade but a land-use upgrade.
"The jury is out, though, on to what extent people outside the evangelical community will find this interesting, but it does tell the story of the old religious world, which makes it an interesting project."
Religious-themed attractions, while not common, have had mixed success over the years. Among those currently operating are the Holy Land Experience in Orlando, Fla.; the Creation Museum in Kentucky; and the Ark Encounter, a Christian evangelical theme park, also in Kentucky, that allows visitors to immerse themselves in biblical history on a life-size replica of Noah's Ark.
While the team behind the Legacy center believes that it will have widespread appeal to the public, both secular and Christian, there is little at the quasi-biblical theme park that doesn't have religious overtones. Decorative monument signs throughout the property quote well-known psalms and Scriptures; the dimly lit catacombs are lined with murals depicting the New Testament, from the baptism of Christ to his resurrection; and a featured film in the motion-seat theater, "Walk Through the Bible," uses special sensory effects to bring to life Moses parting the Red Sea and the plagues of Egypt (imagine being poked in the back of your seat to simulate lice assaulting you).
The admission price for the attractions hasn't been finalized yet, but it will likely be around $15 to $20.
"Most people in the world are curious, they want experiences when they go on a vacation, and that's a big part of what Legacy is _ in a setting that's very inviting and welcoming," said project manager Jim Penner, who is also executive director of the Legacy Center Foundation. "It's not like walking into a church, and we believe people will have a great experience, they'll be able to experience the nations of the world, go through the motion theater and an international market where we will have goods from Africa, South America, Indonesia and Bali.
"The word will get out."
The project, though, has not been without its critics. The LGBT community, in particular, had concerns early on about the center given its affiliation with Cerullo and what some characterize as his anti-gay preaching in years past. Some members of the community still have hard feelings about the project.
"This is a legacy project to honor Dr. Cerullo's history, and that history is tainted by the fact that his ministry has promoted gay-conversion therapy, which is illegal in California and is dangerous and harmful," said Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, immediate past president of the LGBT organization San Diego Democrats for Equality and current chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party. "It will be up to the owners and operators of this complex to demonstrate that they are inclusive of the LGBT community, and if they demonstrate that, I'm sure it will be a welcome addition to the community."
Cerullo, raised in an Orthodox Jewish orphanage until nearly 15 years of age when, as it states in his online bio, he "gave his life to Christ," said he's not sure what he can say to mollify his critics other than to reaffirm that the Legacy center is designed to be a welcoming destination.
"I'm 88 years of age, and my time on this earth may not be very long," Cerullo said in a recent interview. "I wanted to leave something that would be of value and speak to the principles I've upheld for the past 70 years. All I can tell you is that everybody is welcome at the Legacy center. We can't draw any lines of demarcation. It's like saying Jesus didn't die for the Muslims. He died for the world. Our job is to love everybody and to love them sincerely but not hypocritically."
As the Legacy center prepares for its upcoming holiday celebration, Cerullo's team provided the The San Diego Union-Tribune with a sneak preview of what to expect once the entire four-building complex fully opens in February.
