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Religion

Church nearly ready for flock

St. Mark's move clears the way for Hillsborough's first cultural arts community center.

By TIM GRANT
Published March 11, 2005

CARROLLWOOD - After nearly two decades in Carrollwood Village, the congregation of St. Mark's Episcopal Church is ready to hit the highway.

Half the wooden pews have already been sold and the rest of the building at Lowell and Casey roads is an empty shell, except for a few odds and ends piled in Father Ed Henley's old office.

"We'll be completely out of here by the end of March," said Henley, the church's pastor.

The new church building at Gunn Highway and Cain Road will seat as many as 500 people in its main sanctuary. It's on 10 acres of scenic property with lots of moss-covered live oak trees.

The building and land at 13312 Cain Road cost $5-million.

"We're going to a beautiful setting," said Clay Adams, senior warden at St. Mark's.

People in Carrollwood are anticipating the church's move as much as its congregation.

As soon as St. Mark's moves out, county construction crews can move in and start converting the 19,000-square-foot church into a 25,000-square-foot cultural arts center that will be a social hub for Carrollwood residents.

The long-anticipated project is to open to the public in the summer of 2006. It will be the first community center in Hillsborough County to have a cultural rather than recreational focus.

St. Mark's has been at Casey and Lowell roads since 1988. Several homeowner groups and self-help organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous have for years held their meetings at the church.

Church members anticipate having more exposure on Cain Road.

"We're looking forward to having a regional location with good accessibility on main roads," Henley said. "We're a half-mile off the Veterans Expressway."

Tim Grant can be reached at 813 269-5311 or at grant@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 10, 2005, 09:33:10]