U.S. Highway 40 isn’t the only thing along Lawrence’s western edge that’s being expanded.

So is St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 5700 W. Sixth St.

It’s fitting that both projects — the effort to widen the two-lane highway and the church’s start on a major expansion — are taking place at the same time.

That’s because the unrelated projects essentially share the same goal: to accommodate growth.

On Dec. 5, St. Margaret’s broke ground on a $1.7 million, 10,000-square-foot building, just across the parking lot from its present facility, that will house classrooms, an industrial-size kitchen, offices and a gymnasium/multipurpose space.

The building represents only the first phase of an ambitious plan for growth that is expected to roll out during the next several years on the church’s site.

It also represents a shift from the original expansion plans, as well as an adjustment of priorities to better meet the needs of the congregation and the community.

“We envision this facility to be almost like a youth center for that part of Lawrence. We’re really excited about the re-ordering of the phases of development,” said the Rev. Darrel Proffitt, St. Margaret’s lead pastor.

“We anticipate at least four more phases of our development on this site. We’ll build out toward it.”

The new building will be west of the church, separated by the parking lot. The church’s property abuts the highway.

The first phase of the expansion plan is timely, Proffitt said, occurring as the highway is being widened and the city’s northwest corridor is poised for growth.

St. Margaret's Episcopal Church is expanding at its 5700 W. Sixth St. site. In May, lead pastor Darrel Proffitt, left, and campaign director Bob Honse display a model and drawing of the expansion plans.

“We look at the real possibility of being surrounded in the next couple of years with rooftops,” he said.

Original plan evolved

The new building will be the first fruit of St. Margaret’s “Time to Grow,” a church-wide campaign launched Feb. 22 that is designed to raise $3.5 million through three-year pledges from the congregation.

So far, the campaign has raised about $1.1 million. The church likely will take a $600,000 mortgage on the new building, which is the same amount it took on when its present facility was being built. The church was completed in 1997.

The congregation’s initial plan for growth called for a $3.5 million expansion of the existing church, enlarging the structure to almost three times its present size.

That plan mapped out a new entrance, a sanctuary that could seat 850 people, six new classrooms, a bigger nursery, an institutional-size kitchen, more restrooms, offices and parking.

The plan grew out of a decision to make more worship space the congregation’s top priority. The church presently has four Sunday worship services, with total attendance of about 500.

St. Margaret’s has roughly 900 members.

That initial plan has evolved since it was first developed. On further consideration, it was determined that the church’s capability to serve its youth should trump the need for a vastly expanded sanctuary.

The plan to enlarge the present facility would have boosted its size from 10,000 square feet to 18,000 square feet and cost $3.5 million.

But the altered plan, Proffitt said, will provide a more effective solution to the church’s needs at a much lower cost: $1.7 million.

“Initially, the first phase of our development was to mostly respond to our worship space needs. This building enables us to attend to our priorities of children, youth, adult fellowship and worship space at about half the price,” he said.

‘Tremendous opportunity’

The construction of the new building, as opposed to an expansion of the present facility, does not represent a downsizing of the church’s plans for growth.

“We have not changed the original dream. We have re-prioritized the phases of development. We anticipate that in just a couple of years, we will be adding on to our current building to solve the space needs for worship,” Proffitt said.

“St. Margaret’s has always been about children and youth. It seemed so appropriate that with this phase of development, we’re going to take care of our kids. It feels so right.”

The new building is expected to be completed in early 2006, according to Proffitt, which should perfectly position the church for growth.

“In five years, we’ll be a neighborhood church (rather than perched at the edge of town),” he said. “If we hadn’t done this, we would have lost the momentum and a tremendous opportunity.”