Building for the Community

September 2023 Update

Here is an official update on the school and thrift shop building projects!

Bryn Athyn Thrift Shop:

The hope is to receive final permits by October 4. Once these are received, building can begin. The new building will take about a year to build and an additional month to move in retail items. The goal is to be open for Christmas 2024.

The new building will have 6,000 square feet of retail space and 2,800 square feet in processing on the ground floor. There will be an additional 2,800 square feet on the 2nd floor also for processing donations. There will be a paved driveway entrance and a stone parking lot to give the look of a farm. Lights on the building will be turned off at night to reduce light pollution to the neighborhood. The entire property will be surrounded by a split rail fence and the driveway entrance will have farm gates to secure the property at night.

A lot of time was spent with the committee and architects to preserve wood from the original BATS building. We are happy to say that some of the original barn wood will be reused in the new building. We will be “bringing the old into the new,” as Jim Adams stated at this week's Semi-Annual Society Meeting.

Bryn Athyn Church School Building:

We have been anxiously awaiting the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit. Once this permit is received, actual earth moving construction can begin.

In the meantime, Whiting Turner staff has established a presence on site and have been busy coordinating underground utilities as well as planning and ordering materials for the project that have long supply chain lead times.

As you may have seen, the construction fence around the site has been installed. Additional viewing windows into the construction area are in progress and will provide the opportunity to peek into the work site from a few key vantage points. We are also working on the installation of a webcam to get a higher elevation view into the site and will make that available to the community on the Bryn Athyn Church & School websites.

Once construction begins, it is estimated that it will take two years to complete. We are looking to Summer 2025 for project completion.

For more information or if you have a questions, visit our building webpage or please feel free to contact the Building Committee at buildingcommittee@bacs.org.

Groundbreaking Ceremony Video

To read more about this and past updates, click here. Questions about the school and BATS projects? Click here to explore our Q&A's.

Given the extent of our current facility’s constraints and maintenance issues, our plan is to construct a completely new building on an adjacent site. This plan, affirmed at our October 13 Society meeting, not only solves a myriad of problems but also allows us to continue providing onsite education with minimal disruption for our current students while construction is underway. We are prepared to begin construction as early as Summer 2023.

The new facility will provide separate welcoming entrances for the church and the school. Shared spaces will include a sloped floor auditorium and outdoor gathering areas. Students and visitors will experience new academic and social spaces featured throughout the building. The school wing will house dynamic educational environments for preschool through 8th grade. The church wing will be home to the church office, society kitchen, and a beautiful space for gatherings.

The building committee is fully committed to supporting Bryn Athyn Thrift Shop (BATS) in getting up and running in its new location, incorporating parts of the old barn. The new site will be a fenced in and gated two-acre section of Academy property near Buck and Byberry Roads (across from Pine Run Park). The Academy has given their strong approval to move forward with this project.

For more than 60 years, Bryn Athyn Church School has been a special and valued center for the life of our community. It is where generations of New Church children have begun their lifelong journey of education. Since 1970, when the Society Building (All Purpose Building) was constructed, this facility has also been an important gathering place for our congregation to come together for informal worship, wedding celebrations, school programs, sporting events, community programs, and more.

Now we are embarking on a comprehensive new building project designed to ensure that Bryn Athyn Church and School will continue to play a vital role in our lives and for generations to come. In bringing our plans to fruition, we seek support from all those who wish to see this center thrive and serve as an educational, spiritual, and natural home for the life of our community.

September 2023 Update

Our Plan

Our plan is to build vibrant and welcoming spaces for our Elementary School, Church Office, Society Building, and Thrift Shop.

An Invitation to Participate

On behalf of all who will gather, work, learn, play, and worship in these new spaces, we thank you for your contribution to this effort.