Moving day approaches for 'Gary's on the River' project

(Photo by Randy M. Cauthron) A crew with movers Berghorst & Son of Hull continues work at the 1898 former St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. The church building is being moved to West Park Street where riverside shops, businesses and an Italian restaurant will be located. [Order this photo]

That's when a declining, local congregation at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church made the difficult decision to merge with St. Alban's and its Episcopal church congregation in Spirit Lake. Pews were empty, stained glass was dusty; only the local church's signature ivy returned for 16 years.

But don't close the book yet: A dramatic new ending is being scripted for the historic landmark. Work is under way to relocate the building, south and west, to a spot near biking trails and the Little Sioux River in Spencer.

The commercial development includes La Chiesa, an Italian restaurant with an emphasis on local and seasonal produce. Lower level space will be used for shops or business offices.

Spencer businessman Dave Jacobsen calls the project "Gary's on the River," in honor of his brother Gary Jacobsen, a talented Seattle graphic artist who passed away in 1994 due to AIDS related complications.

Dave Jacobsen hopes Gary's on the River captures the artistry of his brother and the inspiring accents preserved by the generations who attended St. Stephen's.

Jacobsen would like to see the first meal served at La Chiesa (La Key-A-Sah, meaning "The Church" in Italian) sometime in October or November.

"We'll know more when the move is done," he said.

That move is no small detail. Precautions and a bit of fanfare are in place for Spencer residents who want to watch the church and its towering steeple make its way down Grand Avenue, the main thoroughfare through Spencer.

The move will take place after midnight, as Tuesday spills into Wednesday, to minimize the disruption to traffic. City crews will shift stoplights and detour traffic to accommodate the relocation.

El Parian, a Mexican restaurant on Grand Avenue plans to stay open for customers who want to watch the church make its way down the four-laned business district.

(Photo by Randy M. Cauthron) The foundation work is in place between at a site along West Park Street. The location is being developed for "Gary's on the River," which will convert the historic St. Stephen's Episcopal Church into retail shops and an eatery. The church will tower about 12 feet above what is seen here. [Order this photo]

The first floor of the Gary's development will include about 4,500 square feet of retail and office space. A shared conference room also is in the plans on the lower level for tenants and customers.

"We're talking with one of the tenants about putting some type of small coffee shop in the first floor," Jacobsen said. "I think that's crucial. Depending on how we design the downstairs, it might entail using that conference room at times."

The steeple will overlook the river and will have the feel of an English castle, with pillars and a deck on the south and east sides.

"You'll be up so high, you can see over the bridge and see the river winding away," Jacobsen said.

The restaurant will include a brick oven. A chef has been selected and has the ability to prepare high-end cuisine, but Jacobsen expects a lot of variety in the menu and the kinds of customers who eat there.

"It will be nice enough and have the character that somebody in a suit will feel comfortable there ... but you're still going to have a lot of jeans -- we're not going to have a dress code, obviously. We need to cater to all of that."

About 60 parking spaces will be available on the north side of West Park Street.

"Our intent is to make it a showplace for the city," Jacobsen said.

ABOUT THE MOVE

If plans remain on schedule, Spencer's three-screen movie theater will have a new, and very temporary, neighbor to the south for part of the day on Tuesday.

Trucks transporting the 1898 former St. Stephen's Episcopal Church will block access at the corner Grand Avenue and East Fifth Street.

The church is currently located at the intersection of Second Avenue East and East Fifth Street. It's being moved to a riverside location in the first block of West Park Street.

The spot next to the theater is a stopping point while crews prepare for the most substantial part of the relocation. The church will be moved onto Grand Avenue in the late night hours of Tuesday into Wednesday.

Drivers may need to consider alternate routes while the church is being moved in the overnight hours.

"That's why we're doing it at that time of night," Spencer Police Chief Mark Lawson said. "Traffic is minimal."

Staff members at Spencer City Hall have been in contact with Berghorst & Son, a building relocation company in Hull:

On Tuesday, the city is going to close a portion of East Fifth Street, from Second Avenue to the driveway of 210 East Fifth Street, which is the first house east of the church. That will allow crews to move the building off its foundation and onto Fifth Street.

In the meantime, the city will begin removing street lights and trees along the planned route.

The moving company will be ready to move the church down Fifth Street during the daylight hours to get to the crosswalk at Grand Avenue. The city is then going to close Fifth Street, from Grand Avenue to the alley between Steffen Furniture and the Spencer 3 Theater for the remainder of the day on Tuesday.

At some point between 7 p.m., Tuesday and midnight, a city crew will begin to rotate stoplights at Fifth Street, Third Street, Second Street and First Street. The stoplights will be replaced with portable stop signs, so Grand Avenue can remain in operation. Grand Avenue traffic will have the right-of-way. Cross traffic will stop.

"At midnight, the detour begins," Spencer Planning Director Kirby Schmidt said. "The building will enter Grand Avenue and the stoplight at Fourth Street will be rotated, which is the last light. Then, as soon as possible, the crew would follow the building down Grand and rotate the stoplights back into their original position."

At about 2 a.m. the church will be down by the Little Sioux River bridge. The mover will have to rotate the building 90 degrees and reset his trucks underneath for the move onto West Park Street -- the turns at Fifth Street and West Park Street will take the most time.

The Grand Avenue detour should be completed by 4 a.m., with some provisions for keeping West Park Street closed through Wednesday if needed.

Drivers will have to abide by the detour signs. Local traffic will be allowed through until the church approaches the area of Grand Avenue near Second Street. That's when the church would be blocking access on the north end of the bridge.

A staffed fire truck and ambulance will be allowed on the south end of the Little Sioux River bridge while the church is being moved near the bridge access point on the north side.

As soon as the church is rotated at Fifth Street, the blockage should be limited to the amount of time it takes to drive down Grand Avenue.

No parking will be allowed on Grand Avenue in the area of the move. The police department will allow travelers to cross Grand Avenue, but won't let them north and south as the church is making its way south to its new location.