Cardinal John Dew has signed off on the purchase of the 4.2 hectare Bunnings site in Paraparaumu for a new church and parish centre.
The move is part of the plan to centralise parish facilities on the Kapiti coast.
The parishes in Waikanae and Paraparaumu were merged just over a year ago to form the new parish of Our Lady of Kapiti
Parish development committee member David Sowry said the existing facilities are not up to earthquake standards and upgrading them would not be economical.
St Patrick’s church and school land in Paraparaumu and Our Lady of Fatima church and land in Parata St Waikanae will be sold to help pay for the new development.
The Bunnings site is on the corner of Kapiti Rd and Milne Drive, behind a Z service station.
It has a direct view of the well known 14 metre high Our Lady of Lourdes statue.
The sale was unconditional and the parish would take over the site on Milne Dr at the end of June, Sowery said.
He said the parish had ambitious plans to create a complete catholic centre at an estimated cost of $15 million, for the parish and for the wider community.
It is hoped that the new complex will include a church, a 5 classroom year 1 to 7 school, a hall and a garden of reflection.
The parish would look to have a new school open by February 2017, and the school might have a new name, potentially Our Lady of Kapiti School in line with that of the parish.
Source
- Stuff.co.nz
- Kapiti News
- Image: Stuff.co.nz
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