Northwest Bible Church has been part of the St. Michael-Albertville community since 2005, renting space first at St. Michael Elementary School and then St. Michael City Hall. They will soon have a facility to call their own, when they break ground on 15,000 square-foot building that can accommodate up to 394 people. The city of St. Michael approved the church’s preliminary plat, final plat, and site plan last month. The church’s Pastor of Discipleship, David Williams, said they intend to break ground this fall.
The new building will be located on the southwest corner of Frankfort Parkway and Edgewood Drive, near the St. Michael Catholic Church and the soon-to-be constructed Westbridge Church. St. Michael’s community development director, Marc Weigle, said SRF Consulting completed a traffic study on the area, and they have coordinated staggering service times with the churches to reduce excessive traffic on the Parkway. SRF also recommended striping Edgewood Drive as a three-lane section and other minor modifications to enhance traffic flow.
“It’s in the three churches’ best interest to [coordinate], so I don’t think we are going to have a problem with that in the future,” Weigle said.
Weigle said the church won’t be accessed directly off Frankfort Parkway, but drivers may see some disruptions during construction of the church’s access from Edgewood Drive.
While the city council did grant final approval for construction to begin, that approval came with conditions for the church to amend their landscaping plan to meet requirements for the Town Center area. The church must also submit their detailed building plans to the city’s building department.
Future Expansion
Northwest Bible Church’s plans show future proposed expansion in two phases. Their initial building will include classrooms, office space and a multi-purpose room that will seat 400-plus people and will also be used as a gym and fellowship hall. Phase two will be a sanctuary, which will seat approximately 450 people. Williams estimated they may begin phase two within 4-5 years. A potential phase three would be 10-15 years away.
“We want to be a visible part of the community,” Williams said. “That’s been a lifelong dream since the church started.”