The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cookeville has purchased a property on Neal Street with plans to build a new facility.
Cookeville-Tennessee Stake President Tyler Gunderson said the current church building on Walnut Street hosts two congregations and is lacking the space needed. Gunderson said the proposed building will do more than just address the space.
“The church has purchased that property to get in the planning stages of building a new meeting house that will house those two congregations,” Gunderson said. “It will also serve as a gathering place for what we call a stake which is a bigger group of congregations from around the region from about Lebanon to Crossville.”
Gunderson said the church is in the beginning stages of planning the project. Gunderson said the goal is to have a groundbreaking ceremony within six months.
“The planning process we just got the land and now we are doing surveying and planning,” Gunderson said. “Architecture and project managers are doing a lot of leg work and so it will probably I guess few years before it is completed.”
Gunderson said the church has been growing in members over the past year.
“We have more people moving into the area,” Gunderson said. “We also continue to grow by people just coming and learning about the church and joining the church in the area indigenously already.”
The church will continue services at the building on Walnut Street for the foreseeable future until the project is complete.