Published: Saturday, January 21, 2012
Construction starts to make Trinity Lutheran more accessible
EVERETT -- The century-old Trinity Lutheran Church plans a construction project to make its building accessible to everyone.
The church at 24th Street and Lombard Avenue near Everett's Clark Park opened in 1904. It has not been fully accessible to people with disabilities. The building project is expected to begin within a month.
Plans call for rebuilding the south hall of the church, building a restroom accessible to people with disabilities, replacing the roof on the entire church, and building a lift platform that will act as an elevator.
Amy Stamatiou, director of Children, Youth and Family programs at the church, said restoration is needed due to the age of the building.
"We have been talking about building an elevator for those who need to use one for almost 20 years, and now we can finally make this happen," Stamatiou said.
Cost of the entire project is expected to run about $250,000, Stamatiou said. "The roof alone is $60,000," she said. The church has secured a loan, she said, and has also been raising funds. An auction may be held to help pay for the work.
The Rev. Jocelyn Carson, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, said that while the inside will be updated, the exterior will look much as it does now. Renovation plans were aimed at maintaining the historic look of the structure, she said.
Carson said many events are held in the church basement, which is larger than the upper-level worship space. Accessibility has been a problem with the basement, Carson said. The changes will help everyone get to any area of the church.
"We always try to make sure everyone is welcome," Carson said.
The church at 24th Street and Lombard Avenue near Everett's Clark Park opened in 1904. It has not been fully accessible to people with disabilities. The building project is expected to begin within a month.
Plans call for rebuilding the south hall of the church, building a restroom accessible to people with disabilities, replacing the roof on the entire church, and building a lift platform that will act as an elevator.
Amy Stamatiou, director of Children, Youth and Family programs at the church, said restoration is needed due to the age of the building.
"We have been talking about building an elevator for those who need to use one for almost 20 years, and now we can finally make this happen," Stamatiou said.
Cost of the entire project is expected to run about $250,000, Stamatiou said. "The roof alone is $60,000," she said. The church has secured a loan, she said, and has also been raising funds. An auction may be held to help pay for the work.
The Rev. Jocelyn Carson, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, said that while the inside will be updated, the exterior will look much as it does now. Renovation plans were aimed at maintaining the historic look of the structure, she said.
Carson said many events are held in the church basement, which is larger than the upper-level worship space. Accessibility has been a problem with the basement, Carson said. The changes will help everyone get to any area of the church.
"We always try to make sure everyone is welcome," Carson said.
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