Plans to enhance the Greek Orthodox Archiepiscopal Church of Saint Sophia, located in the inner northern suburbs of Bowden, are currently under consideration. The proposal, recently lodged with the state's development authority, outlines a strategic reconfiguration of the well-known church hall to accommodate increased capacity and additional functionalities.
Submitted by Paul Morris, director of Empirical Traffic Advisory, the expansion plans aim to boost the church's seating capacity from 150 to 180 individuals. The existing hall will undergo expansion to create room for a new office space and will be reconfigured to host up to 126 people.
The proposed office space, intended for weekday use with approximately three staff members, will coexist with the community hall. The hall is expected to accommodate various events, including receptions following church services, such as baptisms and gatherings for smaller groups engaged in religious studies and committee meetings during off-hours.
To address parking needs associated with the increased capacity, a new car park is part of the proposal, offering 19 additional parking spaces. Sunday morning church services, with approximately 80 attendees, would require 10 spaces, while events with around 126 people would necessitate 25 spaces. The off-street car park aims to accommodate these demands and alleviate existing on-street parking pressure by up to nine spaces.
The proposal emphasizes that the new development and the added parking spaces will not significantly impact traffic flow in the surrounding area. Morris stated, "It is unlikely that existing traffic patterns around the site will vary given the availability of on-street parking existing around the site in Fourth Place, Drayton Street, East Street, and Hawker Street."
