The fate of downtown Lawrence’s Scottish Rite Temple likely will be determined next week.

On Jan. 6, Lawrence city commissioners are scheduled to hear a variance request that would allow the serving of alcoholic beverages in the building. A variance is needed because the building is within 400 feet of two churches, First United Methodist Church and Trinity Episcopal Church.

Jerry Johnson, a member of the group seeking to buy the building at 1001 Mass., said if the variance wasn’t granted, it would kill the deal to convert the 22,000-square-foot building into a site to stage concerts, wedding receptions and other large events.

“It is a contingency in our contract with the Masons,” said Johnson, who also is the owner of a Lawrence music studio. “If we don’t get a liquor license, there is no sale.”

The project, which could open by late May, recently received a boost by the board of trustees of the First United Methodist Church. The board decided that it wouldn’t oppose the group’s efforts to serve alcohol in the building.

“We saw no reason to register any opposition to it,” the Rev. Sharon Howell said. “The church understands that everybody is doing their best to be a good neighbor. We haven’t had any difficulty to speak of with our other neighbors.”

Johnson met with Howell and the Rev. Jonathon Jensen, rector of the Trinity Episcopal Church, earlier this month. Johnson said Jensen also expressed support for the project. Jensen was out of the office Monday, and attempts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful.

“We definitely have been hitting the streets talking to people,” Johnson said. “Our hope is that will help us out greatly.”

Officials at City Hall said they hadn’t received letters opposing the group’s plan to serve alcohol in the building.

Johnson, who is partnering to buy the building with area residents Brad Ziegler and Jim Womack, also said they were looking at possibilities for the building’s historic pipe organ. Johnson said the pipe organ was believed to be the 16th organ produced by Lawrence-based The Reuter Organ Co., and perhaps the first organ that had only the Reuter name on it. Previous organs also included the names of Reuter’s partners.

Johnson said he had met with Reuter officials to discuss how the organ could be moved to another location in the city.

“Most likely what we would like to do is donate the organ to an organization in town that could still use it or to a museum where more people could enjoy it,” Johnson said.

Members of the Scottish Rite Temple reached a deal in November to sell the 92-year-old building, which is one the downtown’s most distinctive because it features an Egyptian Revival-style facade. The deal also included about 8,500 square feet of office and retail space immediately south of the temple building. The asking price for the temple was $775,000; for the building, it was $600,000. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Johnson said the group had no plans to make major changes to the exterior of the building. He also said much of the building’s auditorium and meeting hall space would remain the same.

Temple members decided to sell the building because they no longer needed such a large meeting place. The members are seeking a new location for the organization.