The Big New Building Plans

by Keith Watson

As you may know, earlier this year New City purchased the former Lake Bridge property on Riverside Drive. We had been looking for a property for three years and had been close to purchasing two different buildings before this one.

Our Real Estate agent had run out of options for us when she begged me to take a look at the Lake Bridge building. At the time, I thought the price was too high and the property too large for us to ever get. But it is a beautiful property.

When I finally agreed to take a look at the property, it was overwhelming, and I don’t mean in a good way. The building is huge and in its current layout it is one patient room after another after another after another. I didn’t even look at the whole building. It was too much and I couldn’t see any possibility for us there. For those of you who know me, you know that I am usually pretty good at looking at a building and dreaming of how we could use it, so you know this was bad!

After several more months of looking and visiting buildings, Lake Bridge came back to mind. The owners lowered the price. It was at least closer to what we could do. So I pulled out the building’s old plans and began to dream a little. Maybe we could do this, and maybe that, and if we could add a balcony… it just might work. So I drew some plans of my own and scheduled another look. After that second look, I walked away thinking, maybe this could work.

I shared the sketches with staff and with elders and of course our agent. We all looked at the building and agreed, if we could get the price down and get a contractor to look, we would give it a go! I could tell you of all the amazing things that God did, step by step in the process, but that would be way too many words - the price came down, the terms worked out, and we closed on the building!

Since that time I have learned that when a structural engineer says, “yes, we can do that,” he doesn’t mean it will be easy! We have spent several months hammering out the details and investigating the structure and we have finally arrived at our expected layout and preliminary plans for the building, and I am super excited! If things turn out half as good as I imagine they will, this is going to be an amazing and beautiful space, and there won’t be another like it in Middle Georgia!
Let me share some of the plans!

The Ground Floor:

This entire floor will become our New City Kids space! Our new Kids space will have more square footage than our entire current building! It will include a gym, a large lobby for children’s check in, secure wings for younger kids and older kids, a special needs classroom with a sensory room, bright sunny windows, and rooms to grow into!

The Main Floor:

The main floor will house our offices as well as three training areas, a full commercial kitchen, and a large green room. The sanctuary will open up to a 3rd floor balcony. The ceilings in the lobby and sanctuary will be opened up as tall as possible, exposing the buildings steel and concrete structure. On the rear of the sanctuary and lobby will be windows overlooking the lake.

Third Floor:

The third floor of the building will initially include an “untouched” phase 2 area that may ultimately become our New City Youth space. There will be a large lobby with tall, exposed ceilings. The lobby will serve as an additional training and meeting area. We are also planning to have a 3rd floor conference room. Balcony seating will add to our worship space overlooking the stage on the main floor.

If you can’t tell, I am really excited about the days to come!
I am excited about the building - the brick and mortar, the steel. God made me this way! The thought of seeing the building reshaped and repurposed excites me. Figuring out how it can be used and done so in a beautiful way gets my blood pumping.

But it is more than that.
I am excited that we will be able to minister to more people, having room to grow.
I am excited that we will not have to “cap” our partners dinner and event child care because we are out of space for kids.
I am excited that as a family our entire church will be able to worship together in one service (at least for a while).
I am excited that we can do more discipleship and equipping because we have the room to do multiple things on the same night.
I am excited that we will have a building that is wherlchair accessible in all areas, opening up who we can minister to and who can minister with us.
I am excited that we can add a special needs class to minister to more people and more families.
I am excited about the opportunities that will come for us to partner with other ministries in our space.
I am excited our staff, elders and church are dreaming of all the possibilities that this space will open up. The list is long. I can’t wait to see what God will do!
Ultimately, I am excited that all of this beautiful space and all of these new opportunities will allow us to share the amazing news of Jesus with more people and see them come to love and follow him. I am excited to see individuals, families, and one day our city transformed by the gospel.

So will you pray with me? Even if you go to another church.
Will you pray with me that God would do amazing things to reach Middle Georgia with the gospel through this work?
Will you pray that our New City people see this as a mission tool and not as an end?
Will you pray that in the days to come, God would glorify Himself in and through this project and these people?
I hope so!