St. Andrew’s preparing for new chapel

St. Andrews Episcopal School will begin construction on a new chapel with a 55-foot bell tower on their Ridgeland Campus.

Jack Allin, a partner at Wier Boerner Allin Architecture, said that the chapel will be used for a variety of functions form worship services to musical performances.

“The new chapel at the north campus marks improvement and progress,” Allin said. “The site is right in the heart of campus. Students and faculty and visitors will circulate in and around the building throughout the day.”

Allin said the new chapel will include the 55-foot bell tower with a system of bells and chimes to mark the time of day or commemorate special events.

Allin said that seating configurations will be versatile but they expect it to hold a capacity of about 120 people.

Allin has presented the building before both the city of Ridgeland’s Architecture Review Board last week and the Board of Aldermen on Tuesday and received approval. 

Community Development Director Alan Hart told the board said that the design met all the city’s requirements.

“The structure will go in the interior of the campus. You cannot see it from the street but if you could it looks outstanding,” Hart said.

The item was unanimously approved 6-0 on the consent agenda. Ward 4 Alderman Brian Ramsey was absent.

There is no word yet on when they school officials expect to break ground on the project.

St. Andrew’s began a $34 million building campaign on both its upper and lower campuses in 2015. The chapel was part of that overall project and was expected to be completed in 3-5 years. At the time, the chapel project was part of a donor-driven campaign.