Church planned for downtown FD building
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-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
This building at 1232 Central Ave. is poised to become a church following action by the city’s Board of Adjustment Tuesday.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
This building at 1232 Central Ave. is poised to become a church following action by the city's Board of Adjustment Tuesday.
A building at Central Avenue and 13th Street is poised to become the new home of a local church.
Casa de Restauracion y Perfeccion plans to buy the structure at 1232 Central Ave. that was once home to Messerly Chiropractic. The city’s Board of Adjustment approved a special exception Tuesday that will enable the church to locate there.
The church will occupy all of the building except for one office that is currently leased.
The church will have services on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and on Sundays, according to Thomas Leichliter, associate city planner. It will have choir practice on Wednesday evenings.
He said about 100 people are expected for Sunday services.
The property has a parking lot on its north side, and some parking on its west side.
Board member Nick Cochrane, an attorney who has represented the building’s current owner, abstained from the otherwise unanimous vote to grant the special exception.
Also on Tuesday, the board addressed a matter for one of the community’s long established churches: St. Olaf Lutheran Church at 239 N. 11th St.
The board gave its approval for the construction of a small addition on the 11th Street side of the building. The addition would enclose an entrance and eliminate two steps up from the sidewalk to the current entrance.
The board’s permission was needed because the addition would be closer to the property line than is permitted. The board granted its approval unanimously.






