Willow Creek Community Church makes headway on Crystal Lake expansion

Construction on Crystal Lake's planned megachurch is going as planned, and the facility should be open by late fall.

Willow Creek Community Church is Crystal Lake broke ground on its major expansion project last November. The 193,000-square-foot building will have a spacious auditorium, gathering spaces and classrooms, as well as outdoor spaces, all open to the public.

Church officials hope the new space will allow Willow Creek to better serve the community, said Don Greetham, the church’s stewardship pastor.

“The ultimate goal is for us to create opportunities for people to enjoy the space regardless of their affiliation with the church,” Greetham said. “If someone has the need, whether it be for a class, workshop or just to come spend time with family in the park area … we can now serve the community in that way.”

The nondenominational church leases property at 220 Exchange Drive in Crystal Lake. Willow Creek has other locations in Huntley, Lincolnshire, South Barrington, West Chicago, Northfield and Chicago.

In 2015, Outreach Magazine put the membership of the church, which has seven locations in the Chicago metropolitan area, at 25,743 in 2013, making it the third-largest church in the country.

Construction has been running on schedule and going according to plan. The auditorium is the main focus of work right now, Greetham said.

“The auditorium is now being roofed and sealed in and dried in and that should be done in the next week or so,” he said. “The rest of the renovations after that will continue over the next several months. … The weather has been extremely cooperative, so it’s allowed us to get quite a lot of work done.”

The building formerly housed Oak Industries, which for years was Crystal Lake's largest employer. Employment opportunities at the industrial factory drove many to the McHenry County area and the facility is an important part of the city's history, Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley said.

“I think it’s very appropriate that this becomes a center point through Willow Creek’s redevelopment,” he said. “We have been very excited as a City Council about Willow Creek’s willingness to re-purpose the building.”

Shepley said that the megachurch could provide a good draw to the downtown area as well as drive economic development.

“Not long after the ground breaking we started receiving inquires about the property across the street,” he said. “We’ve had a developer come to the City Council to present plans for a for a sizable, mixed-use residential. I think without Willow Creek, that doesn’t happen.”