Lake Zurich's Heritage Church gets village's approval to expand to a 1,000-person capacity

Heritage Church in Lake Zurich, which draws around 600 worshippers weekly between two Sunday services, soon will undergo an expansion to increase the capacity in its auditorium space to 1,000 people.

The Lake Zurich village board recently approved a large-scale renovation plan that includes a 23,000-square-foot expansion to the north side of the building at 255 N. Quentin Road, on the village's east side.

To make way for the expansion, the existing parsonage building next door at 275 N. Quentin Road will be demolished.

In addition to increasing capacity for weekly services, the work will update the appearance of the building's exterior, said Erik Pieters, the senior project developer at Professional Building Services Inc.

The church was built in the 1980s and annexed into Lake Zurich in 2000, village documents show.

Pieters, who worked with Heritage Church on the expansion, told village board members last month the new look would "bring it up to current architectural trends."

The plan includes expanding the parking lot to 284 spaces. As a concession to the family that owns the home on the lot just to the north, church officials agreed to eliminate a planned access drive along the north end of the property line. They also agreed to plant more trees and shrubs along the boundary to provide better screening.

The church was in talks to purchase the family's home as recently as last September so it could be torn down to create more green space. In January, it was revealed that the sale had not come to fruition, village documents show.

The village board unanimously approved the church's renovation plan Feb. 22. Lake Zurich's community development director, Sarosh Saher, said Friday the church has not yet applied for building permits but likely is preparing to do so.

Heritage Church is a nondenominational congregation with other sites in Barrington and Round Lake Beach. The Lake Zurich location was previously Harvest Bible Chapel Lake Zurich until 2016.

Expand: Church agrees to concessions to residents next door