Leon Williams Contractors Helps Bring New Foothills Church to Life in Time for Easter

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Maryville, Tennessee-based commercial design-build firm finishes brand new 33,000 square foot Foothills Church building

MARYVILLE, Tenn. – March 27, 2018 – Leon Williams Contractors, a Maryville-based commercial design-build firm, has completed construction of the new 33,000 square foot Foothills Church building in Maryville.

Foothills Church (FC) started in 2009 in a local school before moving into a former arcade and entertainment center in 2011. The new space, which will be, by attendance, Blount County’s largest church, will serve as an auditorium and creative space for the congregation’s Sunday services.

“It’s amazing to see what God has done at FC,” said Dr. Trent Stewart, pastor at Foothills Church. “We want people to know that FC is a place they can find hope and purpose. Our message to this city is simple: You Belong Here.”

Leon Williams Contractors has been involved with Foothills Church since it purchased a building formerly known as Thunderworld, helping FC transform the facility into an elegant space for children, families, and worship. Constructing a church with such a large capacity and with advanced technology meant that special considerations had to be made.

“There are a lot of moving parts on such a large project, and several teams have to work together to make it a reality,” said Jimmy Hawkins, president of Leon Williams Contractors. “The entire audio, video and lighting setup is state of the art, and we had to work with Foothill’s Church’s audio/video consultant to ensure that the piping and conduit placement were considered during every step of the building process. We also had to ensure the sound equipment had clean power via isolation transformers so no interfering frequencies would disrupt the technology or those involved in a service. The final product of that teamwork really speaks for itself. When you walk into the auditorium, it’s impressive.”

To help with the flow of traffic, and since the church was limited to one point of ingress and egress, Leon Williams Contractors also included a traffic circle in the parking lot.

“One of the things you have to keep in mind when building a church with a large congregation is the flood of people that come in and out every Sunday,” Hawkins said. “It’s not like a restaurant where there is steady traffic in and out. Instead, you’ve got a couple hundred cars moving in and out almost all at once. The roundabout will help traffic flow with as little congestion as possible and gives them flexibility with traffic patterns.”

The building that was previously used for services will be turned into space for students, children, and the church’s preschool ministry called Launchpad.

Foothills Church will have their open house on April 1, Easter Sunday. Those interested in attending Foothills Church’s Easter service can attend the 9 a.m. or 11 a.m. service. More information can be found on the church’s website, foothillschurch.com.

“We’ve been blessed to see people find meaning in life and connect to God in a deeper way,” Stewart said. “We wanted to accommodate our growth, but also open up empty seats for people who aren’t here yet. This new building is really for them and our city, and we look forward to its completion this Sunday.”

About Leon Williams Contractors

An experienced commercial design-build firm, Leon Williams Contractors simplifies the building process by effectively managing costs, adhering to deadlines and reducing complications to provide a seamless building experience. As a value-engineering expert, Leon Williams Contractors offers a complete range of services including pre-construction consultation, site assessment, design-build expertise and construction management in the greater Knoxville, Tenn. area.

For more information, visit www.lwcontractorstn.com or call 865-982-1734.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
865-977-1973
hripley@ripleypr.com

 

Leon Williams Contractors will help answer the call to expand your church

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We are putting the final touches on what will be, by attendance, Blount County’s largest church. The planned grand opening of the new 33,000-square foot facility at Foothills Churchis set, appropriately, for the Easter season. The previous location will serve as classrooms and a learning center for children.

The church has had a number of rebirths, and we’ve been there along the way. It started in a school, then moved into a former arcade and entertainment center. Each time, church leaders felt the call to expand. The need for a larger facility was obvious and quantifiable; three services occur every Sunday.

While church leaders often feel called to expand to accommodate their flock, there are some very down-to-earth principles to follow before embarking on a major renovation or expansion.

As part of our process, we guide congregations throughout preconstruction planning and the design-build phase, but here are some things to consider before proceeding with a new church:

  • Develop a master plan. Don’t just think about the next step, but consider the next 30 years. Articulate a vision. Do you want to offer a family-life center? Have a commercial kitchen? Open a school? Having a vision for the future can justify the first step toward expansion or a whole new church. What are your anticipated square-footage needs?
  • Conduct a car count. It might seem as if you have good turnout, but numbers don’t lie. You are going to need this information anyway when it comes time to plan a new sanctuary or auditorium. This can also help justify any variances or approvals needed from municipalities to allow the project to proceed.
  • Identify a feasible site.You probably don’t want to move across town, but does the proposed site accommodate the new structure or expansion, have adequate parking and landscaping and provide good egress or ingress? We designed a traffic circle for the Foothills parking lot because of one sole entry and exit point.
  • Keep infrastructure demands in mind.Many churches use a lot more power these days because of auditorium-style services, audio-visual equipment, musical performances and the sheer size of the facility. Make sure you have access to an adequate power supply. The same goes for sewage needs. Don’t plan on too many bells and whistles if you want to open a large church in the country.

We have built and renovatedchurches throughout East Tennessee. If you feel the calling to expand, contact usand we can help every step of the way.