Pictured is an artist rendering of the new Immaculate Conception Catholic Education and Activity Center planned for Palmer Road in Columbia.

For the last 20 years, Immaculate Conception School faculty, administration and students prayed for their growth in enrollment to be met with a new and more modern facility.

Father Carl Scherrer said those prayers will hopefully come true in 2019 when the school plans to dedicate a new Catholic education and activity center on Palmer Road in Columbia. ICS will need to raise about $11.6 million through a recently launched capital campaign for the plan to succeed.

Scherrer said the capital campaign includes a group of volunteers from the parish visiting the homes of parishioners, explaining the project and asking for contributions. He also recently sent a letter to businesses in the community asking for support.

“We think we have a good, broad base of support,” Scherrer said.

According to a brochure created for the campaign, the size of the building for the school would total 60,000 square feet. The maximum occupancy will increase to fit as many as 550 students.

Classroom sizes will grow, allowing for as many as 30 students per class. The entrance to the handicap accessible building will include a security vestibule where visitors will need to buzz in to the main office twice before gaining access.

A performance stage gives way to presentations, plays and concerts. A 10,000-square-foot storage space will give the parish somewhere to keep items for its annual Labor Day picnic.

Other than a parish school, the CEAC will house the parish’s Little Church, or Sunday school.

The building will provide space for future ministries that develop over time.

Scherrer added that the campaign committee will begin contacting ICS alumni after the door-knocking part of the campaign is completed. The campaign is a seven-year effort, meaning people pledging a donation will have seven years from the time of their pledge to pay off their contribution.

“Hopefully, that will enable us to make more money,” Scherrer said.

Different naming opportunities exist on a donor recognition board that will list anyone who contributes a minimum of a $100,000 gift. For instance, a donor who gives $500,000 will see their name next to “gymnasium.”

As of now, Scherrer said the parish has not planned any fundraisers but will probably consider the idea after seeing how much is raised through the campaign.

For more information on the features of the new building or to make a contribution to the campaign, contact ICS at 281-5353. Scherrer said the parish will not share how much money has been raised for the project until the door-knocking portion is complete.

After purchasing the 35-acre lot on Palmer Road in 2004, Immaculate Conception dedicated its new church in 2013. The parish closed the deal on selling its Main Street property to developer Gregg Crawford in January. According to Scherrer, the revenue from the sale allowed them to pay off the debt on the church.

“In December of this year, we will make the final payment on our new church. With a sense of awe, we celebrate how the Lord has graced our parish here in Columbia,” Scherrer stated in a letter.

Crawford’s plans for the former church and school building consist of a major development known as Main Street Abbey, which will include an event center, lofts, vendors and a microbrewery. Scherrer said Crawford needs ICS to vacate the current school by no later than 2021.

“Always, the vision was to move everything to the new campus, but we realized we couldn’t do it all at once,” Scherrer said.

The current school on Main Street dates back to 1921. ICS principal Mike Kish said he hopes the new building will also serve the parish’s needs for many years.

“During this exciting and historical period for our parish, I am reminded it is easier to build schools and churches than community,” Kish stated in the campaign brochure. “I’m proud to say we have done both here at Immaculate Conception Parish.

“Once again, we build an educational facility where we will work hard, play hard and pray hard for generations to come.”

Scherrer said people in the parish should feel compelled to donate to the campaign, giving the next generation an opportunity for a solid education.

“It’s an investment in the future of our church and an investment in our youth,” Scherrer said. “It’s time for us to sacrifice, since people sacrificed for us to have a Catholic education.”