Photo By Michael Alexander

LILBURN—Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III joined parishioners of Our Lady of the Americas Mission to break ground on a new classroom and parish office building on Sunday, April 7.

The two-story building will have approximately 16,500 total square feet with new offices for church staff, bathrooms, a lobby, elevator, a large meeting room with a movable partition and classrooms on both floors. The project, which will cost an estimated $5 million, is expected to be completed by early summer of 2020.

The parish, on Lawrenceville Highway in Lilburn, purchased adjoining property during the initial design period. Construction was put on hold while the design team incorporated the added land into the site plan, adding approximately 110 needed parking spaces to the project. The building exterior will be a synthetic stucco and brick. The designer is Niles Bolton Associates and the contractor is Lusk and Company with Carrington Moultrie of Catholic Construction Services Inc. serving as the project manager.

The joyful groundbreaking celebration followed the mission’s 5 p.m. Mass.