St. Aloysius Parish is preparing to build a new 26,000-square-foot facility on its campus at South Avenue and Cherry Street that will include a new school, community room, youth center, meeting spaces and large green area connecting all parts.
Plans at St. Aloysius Parish, looking at the church (on right) and new family and youth center (left) from South Avenue. Rendering courtesy of St. Aloysius
The project is estimated to cost $26 million—more than half of which already has been raised—with construction planned to start in the spring, according to the Rev. Rob Kinnally, pastor at St. Aloysius.
“This project re-imagines our parish campus to accommodate our growth from 2,600 families to more than 3,000 families in the past six years,” Kinnally said in a press release. “The time has come for us to build what we need to pray together, support one another, teach, learn, and live the Gospel as a large family of faith.”
The parish has filed its plans for the new Education and Faith Center with the town, Kinnally said, and is hoping to get onto the Planning & Zoning Commission’s agenda for January, he said. A permit is required for the project, he said.
St. Aloysius earlier this month filed demolition applications for the existing school as well as another structure.
Plans at St. Aloysius Parish, looking from South Avenue behind the new education and faith center. Rendering courtesy of St. Aloysius
“The original church building—40 Maple Street, built in 1917, will be preserved and will receive some minor interior upgrades,” the press release said. “It will remain as the parish offices; and Stapleton Hall, on the ground floor, will double as a music room and general meeting space. The current church will also be preserved and will receive upgrades in flooring, HVAC, and sound. The interior will be painted, the confessionals will be remodeled, and the restrooms expanded.”
The project “will allow the creation of a large green space which will connect the church, education and faith center, and the family and youth center,” it said.
“The lawn and plantings will provide a park-like setting for informal gatherings and outdoor worship. A small café will open onto the green space facilitating fellowship seven days a week. Additionally, many meeting spaces on the campus will be available to the New Canaan community.”
Those spaces could serve organizations that include the Knights of Columbus and Scouting, according to St. Aloysius.
The energy-efficient Education and Faith Center will include a new pre-K program to meet a rising need in New Canaan, the press release said. The capital campaign, titled “We Stand with Christ Campaign for Saint Aloysius,” is being run in cooperation with the Diocese of Bridgeport, it said.
“The new education building will stay in keeping with the surrounding architecture as well,” it said.
Here’s a video from St. Aloysius about the project:
Very happy to see this happening, can’t wait.