More construction on the Immanuel Lutheran Church property in Crystal Lake might be coming as the owners look to expand services with a new building and an outdoor amphitheater.

Located at 300 Pathway Court, the Immanuel Lutheran land is currently is under construction, as more than 200 apartments are being built by Three Leaf Partners. The City Council approved the plan, which consists of 11 two-story buildings, in 2024.

Now church leaders are looking to expand the church itself. A request for a special-use permit to create a sanctuary building and an outdoor amphitheater south of the school was presented to the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday.

Steve Wright, an architect with DLA Architects, said the plan is for the new 24,000-square-foot building to have seating for about 500 people, with a bridal suite, conference room and a cafe. The plan calls for a capacity of about 350 people for the outdoor area.

Pastor Larry Tiemen said he envisions the addition to also serve the public with events such as concerts and wedding receptions.

Commissioners welcomed the proposal with a unanimous recommendation last week. The City Council is expected to give the final vote July 7.

“It looks beautiful,” Commissioner Laura Dzielski said. “I think this is a really great project that a lot of people are going to benefit from.”

The proposed outdoor amphitheater is almost 700 feet from the nearest residence, according to city documents. Landscaping buffers and an addition of 60 more parking spaces also are in the expansion plan.

This addition is part of the church’s overall expansion plan that started in 2008 when the school was relocated, Tieman said. The historic church off McHenry Avenue was decommissioned in 2020 and refurbished into apartments.

Planning and Zoning Chair Jeff Greenman asked for the church to be thoughtful on how it schedules events to ensure there isn’t overflow parking or increased traffic.

When asked if more expansions are expected in the future for the church, Tieman said there is a possibility of expanding the school. But he hopes the new sanctuary building will last for generations.

“The last one lasted 125 years, so I am hoping that will be the same for this one,” Tieman said.