GAINESVILLE, Ga. -- St. John Baptist Church got the nod on a $4 million expansion plan from the city planning and appeals board, according to a report in The (Gainesville) Times. The project must still be approved by the city council.
The first phase plan calls for a 575-seat sanctuary, a fellowship hall for 400, and more parking, classrooms and offices on 3.2 acres across High Street from the current building. A daycare, gymnasium and life center would be added later as a second phase.
Planning department documents list membership at the church at 450. The Rev. Eugene Green said attendance is up 10 to 14 percent during the past five years and the 350-seat sanctuary is packed during the two Sunday morning services.
Rochester & Associates Inc., a Gainesville architectural company, designed the 22,600-square-foot brick building. The newspaper said the city council would vote on the project June 3.
