The construction at the corner of Peachtree Road and 25th Street in Buckhead isn’t far enough along to look like what it will turn out to be: a new community church. In fact, it might not appear much like a church when it’s finished, either. And that’s part of the plan.
“The aim is to have an urban feel to the church that serves an urban environment,” said Paul Gardner, senior pastor of the Christ Church Presbyterian congregation that is building the new facility. “We want to serve this area, and it’s a thoroughly urban one.”
The church has a 20-year history at its current location, tucked away near the end of Peachtree Park Drive. Since its inception, it has grown steadily, drawing members and visitors to its extensive musical, art and children’s programs. Gardner, who moved to Atlanta from the United Kingdom eight years ago, took on the challenge of finding a new location.
“Where we are now has always been regarded as temporary,” said Gardner. “One of the reasons I came here was to establish the church where we wanted to be, and the southern part of Buckhead was the obvious place because it’s pretty densely populated, with houses, condos and apartments within walking distance.”
The congregation supported efforts to put the new church on the footprint of a former office building, which also helps it blend into the neighborhood.
“The idea from the get-go was to build in a sustainable way, and part of that was using the existing building as much as we could,” said Jerry Spangler, director of architecture at TSW, the firm overseeing the project. “It was a sound structure, so we were able to use some of it, but that also means it certainly won’t be a traditional-looking Southern church.”
The physical structure will be built right to the sidewalk, said Spangler, helping it to blend in with the nearby streetscape of shops and offices. A prominent street-side feature will be a coffeehouse that Gardner envisions as a community gathering place. An art gallery just inside the entrance will be large enough for juried exhibitions.
“We want a church that reaches out to the arts community, since we’re very close to (Savannah College of Art and Design) and the arts area of northern Midtown,” said Gardner. “We already have a great music and arts program, and we want to encourage the arts community around us to join us.”
The south Buckhead location also affords proximity to the demographics the church already attracts.
“We have about 650 worshiping adults and a lot of children - about 50 under the age of 2 at the moment - and this area has a median age of around 30, with lots of young professionals,” said Gardner. “This new church will make use even more accessible to those people in the area.”
Construction is expected to wrap by Christmas 2014, and Gardner said the entire congregation is looking forward to it.
“We are one of the only churches that puts on a family service at 10:30 in the morning on Christmas Day,” he said. “It’s a great family gathering. And next year, we’ll have even more to celebrate.”
Each Saturday, we shine a spotlight on a local neighborhood, city or community. To suggest a place for us to visit, e-mail H.M. Cauley at hm_cauley@yahoo.com or call 770- 744-3042.
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