Iowa City Unitarians see design for new church

IOWA CITY - The members of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Iowa City have had their first glimpse of what their new church could look like.

Officials with Neumann Monson Architects on Sunday unveiled conceptual designs for the future church, which boasts sustainable features such as solar panels, day-lighting and a green roof.

Dave Zahradnik, a principal with the architectural firm, said a key goal in designing the new church - which is expected to cost about $5 million - was creating a design that took suggestions from the congregation and which would minimize impact on the land.

'What we're trying to do is position the building on the site and design it in a way that we disturb the earth and existing trees as little as possible,” he said.

Zahradnik said a contractor could be selected as soon as next week, and the plan is to bid the project by early next year.

Ground could be broken at the 5.5 acre site, at 2355 Oakdale Rd. in Coralville, a few months later, he added.

The planning is going on at the same time the church is trying to sell its historic church at 10 S. Gilbert St. to developer Jesse Allen, of Allen Homes.

Before that happens, Iowa City's Planning and Zoning Commission needs to recommend approval of a comprehensive plan amendment to cover three blocks of near-downtown property, which includes the church, that Allen wants to develop. The commission decided Thursday to defer a formal vote on the amendments so it can gather additional information.

The purchase agreement between the church and Allen carries the stipulation, included by the congregation, that the entire building would be demolished, if need be, to ensure a sale.

Allen, however, is talking to the city about building a mixed-use building on that site and preserving the historically significant church sanctuary.

'The idea is if the buyer feels confident enough in the city's willingness to work with them on a mixed-use project for the entire block, then the buyer will likely ask us to delay the demolition and then ultimately, hopefully, take demolition off the table altogether,” Adam Ingersoll, a member of the Unitarian society's board of trustees, said before the Thursday meeting.

'The buyer is extremely open to the idea of saving the sanctuary portion of the building, this historic portion, as long as the city makes it fair for them.”

Ingersoll said demolition could be called off in October at the latest.

The comprehensive plan amendment will go to the Iowa City Council, which expressed some interest in a rough design of Allen's proposal in July.

In the meantime, starting in October, Unitarian society members will be meeting Sundays and Wednesdays at the Sanctuary Community Church at 2205 E. Grantview Dr., Coralville.

David Borger Germann, associate pastor at the Sanctuary Community Church, said, 'Certainly whenever you're considering something like this, especially with another faith community, I guess the question you have is, ‘How well will it mesh?' We quickly it hit off and realized we have many things we share in common.”