Holy Trinity seeks city’s blessing for its building plans in Beaufort. What’s in store?
A private school in Beaufort has big building plans that it says will transform the 4 acres it acquired last year.
To begin with, Holy Trinity Classical Christian School is planning to build a 19,000 square-foot fellowship hall and gymnasium on the northwest corner of the campus at 302 Burroughs Ave., according to documents submitted to the city.
The new facility will include a gymnasium to support its athletic programs, in addition to multi-purpose art and theater classrooms, locker rooms, a weight room with an attached coaches office, and a performance stage.
It also will serve as a large fellowship hall where the student body can meet.
The design also includes a small outdoor chapel on the north side of the building that will provide a space for prayer and quiet contemplation. It will serve as an outdoor classroom during pleasant weather.
Conceptual approval for those plans will be before the Design Review Board Thursday.
The work is phase 1 of a larger building plan by the school.
During the second phase, the existing school building, which houses grades K-6, and portable classrooms used for the upper school students in grades 7-12, will be replaced by a new two-story school on the northwest corner of the property.
School construction is planned eight to 10 years from the completion of the fellowship hall and gymnasium, Holy Trinity said.
Once the Phase II building is complete, the existing school and portable classroom buildings will be removed and replaced with additional parking and a synthetic turf sports field in the southeast corner of the site.
In August 2020, Holy Trinity finalized the purchase of the building at Burroughs Avenue from the Beaufort County School District, along with the adjacent property known as Bob Jones Field from the City of Beaufort. Holy Trinity had leased the building since 2012.
At the time, the Rev. Chad E. Lawrence, founding headmaster, said the purchase allowed the school to stay where it was and to gradually phase in new buildings without disrupting classes or operations and programs.
He also said the purchase terms would improve the school’s annual cash flow compared to the lease terms.
“Finally, it keeps us right here in the heart of Beaufort,” Lawrence said. “We love being centrally located so people can come from all over this area to receive a great classical Christian education.”
Gibson Solomons, member of the Board of Trustees and chair of the Facilities Committee, wrote Holy Trinity families that the school has plans to turn the property into “something that will be transformative for the entire area of the city.”
Founded in 2012, Holy Trinity Classical Christian School provides students with a Christian and classical education. It has over 350 students from more than a dozen churches in the Beaufort community.
