48°
A groundbreaking ceremony will follow the church’s 9:30 morning Festival service with construction to formally begin on Monday.
“All of us are excited to be getting underway with what will be the first expansion of our church since 1959 when the education wing opened,” said the Rev. Marvin Henk, pastor of the church.
“This project will not only transform and modernize our existing space but will provide us much-needed additional space. The existing space is outdated and too small. After a great deal of thought, we concluded that a gut renovation and expansion was the right approach. As a result we will be able to expand our ministries and our ability to serve our members and the community.
Henk, who has been at St. John’s for 35 years, said the nearly $700,000 project includes a complete renovation of the existing wing as well as the 600-square-foot expansion.
The project includes new bathrooms, kitchen and other facilities, as well as a room for the church’s choir and education and counseling space. The new facilities will be handicapped accessible.
The two-story addition, designed by Rex Gedney of Crozier Gedney Architects of Rye, will be faced with red brick to closely match the existing structure. St. John’s has stood at the corner of Fenimore Road and Cortlandt Street since 1927.
According to Henk, the project is being done over the summer when the church’s nursery school is not in session.
“We have to be back online in September when the nursery school resumes, so the construction crews will be working very efficiently.” Church services will not be interrupted by the construction.
Fundraising for the construction is continuing, with $540,000 raised so far.
“It’s not an insignificant amount of money for our church, but we are committed to assuring that St. John’s and our ministries can adapt and grow to meet the needs of our congregation and the greater community."
Click here to follow Daily Voice Rye and receive free news updates.
