The congregation of University City Church will be celebrating Christmas Eve under the stars in the parking lot of the historic downtown church this evening.
An electrical fire in the church’s attic a year ago in November has led to an $8 million renovation project. The sanctuary — with a state-of-the-art video and audio sound system — is targeted for completion in February, said lead pastor Andy Tracy.
Meanwhile, the 400-member congregation has had Sunday services at several locations during the year — the latest at Tucson High School’s auditorium.
But since the school district is closed for the holidays, the congregation will gather for Christmas Eve services in the church’s parking lot, 604 N. Sixth Ave., at 5 p.m.
“It will be a simple service with beautiful music, and the celebration of the baby Jesus who was born 2,000 years ago. His birth is a message of hope,” said Tracy, explaining that members of the nondenominational church have been studying the different characters in the Christmas story.
The congregation — made up of University of Arizona students and families from across the city — has remained strong and united during the rebuilding.
Elder Don Pooley, 63, a mostly retired professional golfer who is an elder in the church, will be at the Christmas Eve service with his wife, Margaret, and their two daughters, a son-in-law and two grandchildren.
“It has been quite a wild ride from the fire to holding service in the church parking lot, then under a tent and in other locations until the reconstruction is finished,” Pooley said.
“We are seeing how God is taking care of us through the whole thing,” said Pooley, explaining that the church was built in 1925 and had issues when the congregation bought it in 2013.
The small attic fire caused extensive smoke and water damage that ruined the interior building with wooden pews, flooring and ornate woodwork.
“The church will look absolutely incredible when it is completed,” said Pooley who organized a fundraising golf tournament at the Omni Tucson National Resort on Jan. 16 to help with renovation costs. Eight professional golfers, who are Pooley’s friends, will donate their time for the cause. (See box on Page A1)
Insurance covers the majority of the cost, while the congregation’s contribution is $1.5 million, still needing to raise $700,000, Tracy said.
The improvements include bringing the building up to code, new electrical wiring, asbestos removal, the installation of air conditioning, modernized restrooms and making the building accessible to people with disabilities. The basement also was designed to include a children’s area with bright multicolors, classrooms, meeting rooms and an industrial kitchen.
Craftsmen are working on the white-brick church with large entryways and columns, restoring ornate trim in wooden fixtures and plaster corbel designs in the ceilings, said Brad Hoge, vice president of Rio West Development & Construction.
“The repairs are time-consuming and like artwork. You don’t see this work typically in today’s architecture. We are putting it back into the theme of 1925,” Hoge explained. While the sanctuary is set to be ready for service in February, the rest of the improvements will continue in the east wing, basement and other areas, said Hoge.
The wooden pews in the church, which are about 60 years old, are being refurbished in California by the original company that built them. The original wooden floors, covered with linoleum and ceramic tile for about 40 years, also will be restored. The stained-glass windows are being cleaned and undergoing small repairs, but must eventually be replaced, a future project that will cost more than $300,000, Tracy said.
“We are still learning about the history of this church, which was originally Conservative Baptists,” said Tracy, 36, a native Tucsonan and Catalina Foothills High School graduate who wanted to minister in the downtown area, near the UA.
“There is a lot of mystery that is being unfolded as we dig up walls. We found a time capsule that had already been opened. It was buried in the front lawn,” said Tracy, having no further information about when the capsule was buried, what was in it, and who unearthed it and then reburied it. “A lot is educational for us. It is like a treasure hunt.”
