NCI-Roberts Construction remodeled the former Mazomanie Elementary School into a community center and worship space for New Heights Lutheran Church called The Grove Regional Community Center. The remodel included 17,700 square feet of an approximately 62,000 square foot facility on 6.5 acres.
The project is the result of 15 years of planning and was originally envisioned as new construction. When the school came up for sale, New Heights changed direction, realizing that the existing building could be more affordably remodeled to meet its goals and serve its mission for The Grove, which is “to provide spaces where people can gather, connect, and thrive.” Additional efforts were made to save costs, including having volunteers complete the demolition and do some finishing, and salvaging and reusing materials already in the building.
This newly renovated campus is open to the community for services, rentals and programs. It is the new permanent residence for New Heights Lutheran Church, Heights Unlimited Community Resource Center, and the Joining Forces for Families‘ area social worker.
The remodeled areas include:
The large meeting room is designed to be flexible to maximize use. It is also the worship space for New Heights’ congregation; worship materials can be stored in the room after use. The space includes flexible seating, a stage, Wi-Fi, a screen, and A/V equipment. The stage also has a wheelchair lift.
The project included new plumbing, electrical, fire protection, insulation, drywall, paint, doors, ceilings, light fixtures and flooring. In addition, the building got a new roof and siding, and some sidewalks were replaced.
Several celebration events were held at different points in the project. During a “Holy Graffiti” event, the congregation wrote messages of hope and prayers on the metal studs of the large meeting space. At the conclusion of the project, a ribbon-cutting event marked the official opening of The Grove for the congregation and the community.
These updates allow The Grove to serve the New Heights congregation and the wider Wisconsin Heights community and allow for future growth.
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