The vision members of Dowagiac’s Liberty Chapel have for a larger chapel came one step closer to reality Monday.

Members of the Dowagiac Planning Commission approved the church’s request for a special land permit during the commission’s meeting that evening at City Hall. The permit is for property at 315 Dewey St., a vacant lot where church leaders plan to construct a new 40-by-96-foot church. The planned facility, which will cost an estimated $150,000, will be located just several yards away from the church’s existing chapel at 309 Dewey St., and will use its existing parking lot.

Church leaders have considered building a new chapel for close to a year, though discussions did not seriously pick up until around three months ago, said Mike Townsend, who is helping coordinate the construction project. The new chapel will be able to seat around 120 parishioners, and will have space for offices, a nursery and other rooms, he said.

The new building will not only provide more space to the church’s 110 members, but will also provide them with a modern structure for worship, said Liberty Chapel Pastor Mark Saylor. The pastor and others with the church considered relocating from Dewey Street for the new space, but decided to build on the lot next to their existing chapel instead.

“We want to be in Dowagiac, and use Dowagiac businesses for the project as much as possible,” Saylor said.

Leading the construction will be Dowagiac’s Joe Moore, with Moore Building, Townsend said.

The church plans on keeping its existing building open once the new facility is up and running. The church currently hosts several county programs, including for drug treatment and jail ministries, which the old structure will continue to house, Townsend said.

“We do not want to just be a church,” Saylor said. “We want to be a center for the community.”

With the special land permit approved, the church will have to develop a site plan for the project, which must also be signed off by the planning commission before construction can begin. Building on the exterior should take around five weeks, though the interior will take longer to finish, Townsend said.

considered relocating from Dewey Street for the new space, but decided to build on the lot next to their existing chapel instead.

“We want to be in Dowagiac, and use Dowagiac businesses for the project as much as possible,” Saylor said.

Leading the construction will be Dowagiac’s Joe Moore, with Moore Building, Townsend said.

The church plans on keeping its existing building open once the new facility is up and running. The church currently hosts several county programs, including for drug treatment and jail ministries, which the old structure will continue to house, Townsend said.

“We do not want to just be a church,” Saylor said. “We want to be a center for the community.”

With the special land permit approved, the church will have to develop a site plan for the project, which must also be signed off by the planning commission before construction can begin. Building on the exterior should take around five weeks, though the interior will take longer to finish, Townsend said.