A multi-campus church in the Quad Cities is expanding again. After buying the former Kone building in downtown Moline last summer, Heritage Church has announced its plans for the 117,000 square foot building.
Pastor Jeremiah Gomez says the new Heritage campus will be used for church services and other events, but will also offer space to community organizations, in what he calls, a "Community Engagement Center."
"It may be helpful to understand our journey with the Esperanza Center, the Ericsson school. Where we were able to kind of re-purpose that after it was closed, to a place of community engagement. And so we have several partnerships there that we just created space for community organization that are already doing great things, to continue to do those great things.
Heritage Church was founded 1964 and now has campuses in Rock Island, Moline, Bettendorf, and Kewanee. He says their normal weekly attendance on Sunday is about 2,500.
Gomez says the Kone building will be similar to the Esperanza Center, which Heritage developed from the former Ericcson Elementary School building in Moline. The congregation now uses it for church, with space for a daycare center and the Boys and Girls Club.