The Future Home Of Central
We are building a brand new site on York Road in the Niagara Region. On this page you’ll find the most recent updates on the build, as well as some frequently asked questions.
WHO'S IDEA WAS THIS?
10 years ago, the leadership of Central knew that we needed to build a new space. There were two primary reasons for this – our current building was no longer able to support the growth that we were experiencing, and we had a desire to do more for our community. So, through a process of conversations with our congregation, we voted to move forward with a building program.
WHY HAVE WE CHOSEN YORK ROAD AS THE LOCATION?
Once the decision was made to move ahead, a committee was put together to locate land that could accommodate this new dream. Multiple locations were explored, and as part of their search, this committee studied the geographical location of our congregation, finding that the majority were living in the Glendale Avenue area. We are delighted to say that the property on York Road we now find ourselves building on is a “Central” place for our church family, right in the heart of Niagara’s fastest growing community. Also, by selecting this site, we knew we wouldn’t be disrupting more rural lands in the surrounding area.
WHO IS THE BUILDING FOR AND HOW WILL IT BE USED?
This building is primarily a space for our church family to grow. It will allow us to double our current capacity in all areas, with the ability to accommodate 4500 people in two Experiences on a Sunday morning.
Equally as important, we have built a space that allows us to be innovative in the ways we seek to serve and rub shoulders with the local community. For this reason, every space within the building has been designed with the intention for dual purpose. In the design process we’ve asked ourselves, how will these spaces be used to meet the needs of our church family, and how will they be used to create invitational, functional spaces for our local community?
HOW IS THIS PROJECT BEING FUNDED?
This project is being funded through multiple channels. We were able to sell our current property for $4M, which was higher than the experts said we would be able to attain. We’ve also raised $7M through the generosity of our church family as they’ve given to our ‘Capital Campaign’. And we were also able to secure a manageable mortgage for the new property that fits within our projected operational budget. We are currently in the process of closing a $2M gap – the last piece of this project.
HOW HAVE WE CONSIDERED THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND EFFICIENCY OF THIS NEW BUILDING?
We’ve done our best to ensure that this new location operates significantly more efficiently in comparison to our current location at 240 Scott Street. As a simple example, we were cautious to minimise the number of exterior windows on the building to reduce heat loss and use of excess materials. We’ve also installed large cisterns underneath the building that will allow us to collect and distribute recycled rain water for irrigation purposes around the property. We were also able to converse a creek and pond at the back of our property, so as not to disturb the home of local wildlife, and we’ve maintained the existing tree line to avoid native material loss.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
If this project sounds like something you’d like to be a part of, then we would love to partner with you! Firstly, your prayers are gratefully received, and make a huge difference to us as we navigate the ups and downs of the building process. Secondly, if you’re interested in partnering with us financially to help us close the final gap of $2M, please see the link below for our 95 Dollar Challenge! THANK YOU. Because of you – we have hope to see the Niagara Region transformed by God’s love and power!
