Valleydale Baptist Church in Birmingham continues to move forward with preliminary plans for a new campus that could cost as much as $35–45 million and take more than a decade to complete.
Members voted Jan. 9 to adopt a four-phase plan for construction of the new facilities.
This follows a September vote by a margin of 96 percent of the church members to purchase 44 acres of land at a cost of $2.1 million.
Leaders of the church said the property, located near the Southlake Shopping Center on Valleydale Road, is needed to meet the needs of its growing congregation.
Keith Stanley, administrative pastor at Valleydale, said the master plan is still being developed but the first phase of the project will include the construction of an 88,000-square-foot multipurpose center.
Stanley said the building will be state-of-the-art and include a family life center, two basketball courts, adult worship center and space for preschool students.
The facility will accommodate approximately 1,800 people, according to Stanley.
He said construction will begin sometime this year, with completion scheduled for the fall of 2003.
Plans for the first phase of the project also include the construction of 900 parking spaces and a playground for preschool students.
While a final date for completion of the project’s four phases has not been set, Stanley estimated the expansion could last as long as 15 years.
Stanley said the scope of the expansion will be determined by future church growth.
The church said its worship attendance has grown from 1,242 in 1996 to more than 1,800 in 2001.
Valleydale’s last major building campaign was in 1993, when the church added a new wing that Stanley said included a 1,100-seat worship center.
“The land purchase and subsequent relocation allows Valleydale Baptist Church to truly fulfill our mission to provide the best opportunity for people to become fully devoted Christ-followers,” said Senior Pastor Calvin Kelly.
Other phases of the development will include:
Phase II — Construction of an educational building housing classrooms for children, youth and adults.
Phase III — A new worship center that will seat 2,500–3,000 people.
Phase IV — Additional educational space.
Stanley said the new campus will also include walking trails and prayer gardens.
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