Christian Kohlmann says he found his second family at the Chapel of the Cross. And after Monday’s Town Council meeting, he is looking forward to seeing it grow.
The Chapel of the Cross, an Episcopal church, is moving forward with its expansion project after being granted a zoning change and a special use permit by the Chapel Hill Town Council.
“While I have grown fond of the current facilities, I understand the need for renovations and am excited by the prospects of expansion,” said Kohlmann, a communication studies major at UNC and a student chaplain at the church.
David Ross, chairman of the campaign completion task force, said construction will begin in the fall and will be completed within a year.
The project will add 29,500 square feet at a projected cost of $6.3 million. The expansion will double the space for community outreach while preserving the historic main church.
Preserving history
The Chapel of the Cross, established in 1842, was the first church built on Franklin Street and was also the church where Pauli Murray, the first African American woman to be ordained as an Episcopalian priest, celebrated the holy rite of Eucharist for the first time.
“It’s certainly one of the most historical buildings in Chapel Hill and a unique part of the connection to Pauli Murray,” said Ernest Dollar, preservation director of the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill.
But Dollar said the society is concerned about the impact of the expansion on the University’s Coker Arboretum, which is located behind the church.