NAPLES, Fla. — Demolition is officially underway at Naples Community Church to make room for a new, 30,000-square-foot facility in the heart of downtown Naples.
The congregation has spent nearly 15 years inside a former furniture store on 7th Avenue South. Now, church leaders are rebuilding to create a space that better meets the needs of growing membership and stands resilient against future hurricanes.
WATCH AS THE OLD CHURCH IS DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE NEW FACILITY:
"From different walks of life, we met here in the church," said Project Manager and longtime church member John Boatright. "Our goal is to take the church forward," he added.
Boatright says the church's beginnings were humble — first meeting in a private home, then a community room, and finally settling into a commercial space downtown.
"As the church has grown, we now did not have enough space for our people," he explained. "Maximum seats that we can have in the existing sanctuary is about 220 — this gets us to 316," he added.
The design for the new building includes a reinforced structure, coral stone finishes, stained glass, and modern community spaces. Renderings also show expanded green space, a fellowship courtyard, and native landscaping throughout the property.
Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann took part in the ceremonial kickoff, calling the project a vision for the future.
"The demolition of this building makes a way for a greater vision — a new sanctuary, a new unified campus, and a spiritual home that will welcome generations with even broader arms," she said.
One of the most important improvements is how the new church will handle storm surge and flooding.
"Ian, Irma, you know — the most recent hurricanes like Milton — there was flooding in the areas," Boatright said. "This is all built for flow-through, so if the floodwaters come, it'll flow through the garage and flow on out but we're going to be well above the flood levels," he added.
Construction will take place in two phases, allowing part of the church to remain open throughout the process. If permitting stays on schedule, the first section of the new church could be completed by August 2026.
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