St. John's plans addition

First phase includes handicap-accessibility, offices, covered walkway

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Members of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church congregation started the ball rolling on a $2.8 million expansion project Sunday with a groundbreaking for the project's first phase.

The first phase includes construction of a handicap-accessible entrance with elevator, two handicap-accessible restrooms, church offices, temporary space for Sunday School and a covered walkway to the future parking lot.

The first phase is expected to cost about $1.6 million, and the church already has commitments from its members for slightly over $1 million, Pastor Wayne Laitinen said.

A basement, which will be dug next to the church's current basement, will be capped at grade to be ready for the final-phase construction. The second phase of the addition will include a Fellowship Hall, kitchen and Sunday School rooms. The new on-site parking lot, which can hold an estimated 54 cars, also is a part of second-phase construction, Laitinen explained.

The new addition will more than double the square-footage in the current church, he added.

"Digging on the first phase is expected to start by Aug. 23, and we expect to have it closed in by the time snow flies. Getting a handicap-accessible entrance is really our focus in this first phase, and we're not sure when work on the second phase will start," Laitinen said.

Heymann Construction Co. of New Ulm is the contractor, and Professional Design Group of Northfield is the architect and structural engineers on the project.

"There's a bit of historical connection in that the grandfather of John Heymann (who heads Heymann Construction today) built the original church," Laitinen explained.

The church is attempting to sell the houses on two adjacent lots that the church owns, Laitinen continued. Those houses will have to be removed to provide space for the parking lot.

"We considered moving to a new location, but we felt very much at home here. Besides, it probably would have cost more to build a new church than to add on to this one," Laitinen said.