BRUNSWICK

In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the Brunswick Planning Board accepted the Common Development Plan for the Saint John’s campus on Pleasant Street, clearing yet another hurdle in revamping the church campus.

The plan approved by the planning board calls for a new events center and a new school building at the 35-39 Pleasant St. campus.

The first part of the project will be the construction of the 14,685-square-foot, $4.8 million multipurpose center.

The building will reflect complementary architectural elements of the church and provide much needed space for a gymnasium, stage, music room, offices and meeting rooms. Additionally, there will be an adoration chapel accessible through a separate entrance on the ground floor. Currently, the chapel is only accessible up a flight of stairs in various stages of disrepair, making it difficult for older members to access.

Since the demolition of a former recreation center, students of St. John’s Catholic School have had to make-do, holding gym class, music and theater beneath the church.

All Saints Parish Pastor Father Frank Murray is hoping that construction can start some time next year.

“We’re talking about a big building and we also want a big, attractive building because this is a very attractive part of town and we have an extremely attractive church, so we don’t want a big building out here that’s going to detract from the neighborhood or detract from the church,” Murray said.

The new building will feature a hip-roof to let in natural light. Stonework on the exterior of the multipurpose building will reflect design and color elements in the adjacent church.

The second part of the project will see the construction of a new school building that faces Union Street, as well as the demolition of the old convent building, which is now used as the parish center.

The old school will be demolished after the new school is operational.

Murray said the new building needs to look good and be durable, and that’s something with which the parish is familiar: The current academic building on the campus has been actively used since 1912.

“They’ve always had to really work hard to make things work and we’ll continue. We’re never going to be rich and we’re never going to have everything, but I really think that this is the next step,” Murray said.

Murray said with anticipated growth in the Brunswick area, particularly at Brunswick Landing, the Catholic community needs to be proactive in welcoming that growth.

The project was met with some op- position, however, by Cedar Street resident Polly Ann Milton, who brought up concerns of both cutting mature trees on the church property as well as what the redesigned campus might mean for noise at the time of the annual St. John’s Bazaar.

Milton said cutting the trees and taking down the convent and current school building will also open Cedar Street up to street noise from Pleasant Street.

Stewart Russell of Topsham said he has had two children attend and graduate from St. John’s School.

Russell said that when his children attended the school, they had to make due when it came to school activities and even some of those supports, such as the Knights of Columbus field, are no longer available.

“While I like trees also, and they are some very mature trees, if I had a choice between knocking down four mature trees and helping the education of 200 fabulous, young people who are going to be the backbone of this community in the future, the kids are going to win every time,” Russell said.

dmcintire@timesrecord.com

Two parts

• THE FIRST PART of the project will be the construction of the 14,685- square-foot, $4.8 million multipurpose center.

• THE SECOND PART of the project will see the construction of a new school building that faces Union Street, as well as the demolition of the old convent building, which is now used as the parish center.

The old school will be demolished after the new school is operational.

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