Central United Methodist Church starts $4.2 million accessibility renovation

Central United Methodist Church has launched a $4.2 million accessibility renovation at 222 Cass Street, a project the congregation says is its largest in more than a century and one that will change how a major downtown landmark functions for Traverse City residents.

The work, part of the church’s Central to Our Future campaign, will add an elevator, remodel the sanctuary and chancel, install two ramps, and create a new accessible, family-friendly, all-gender restroom on the second floor. Church leaders say the goal is not just cosmetic preservation of a historic building, but a reworking of how people enter, move through and use the church on a daily basis.

The congregation unanimously approved a contract with Cunningham-Limp on March 22, 2026, with construction costs set not to exceed $4.2 million. Members also authorized borrowing up to $1 million through a loan or line of credit if needed for cash flow. By March 26, the church said it had secured $3.2 million in gift commitments toward its $3.5 million fundraising goal, from nearly 200 gifts, and later said it was within $350,000 of that goal with more than $1.7 million collected in cash.

The renovation is aimed squarely at barriers that have shaped who can easily use the building. Church leaders say more than 95 percent of weekday users enter from the west, parking-lot side, and 67 percent of Sunday worshippers do the same. That entrance, originally a fire escape, has gradually become the de facto main entry, leaving many people facing 15 stairs to reach the sanctuary, offices and other services.

Founded in 1858 and described by the congregation as the first denomination chartered in Traverse City, Central United Methodist was dedicated in 1913. The church says that history makes the project especially significant: a downtown institution built for another era is being adapted for older adults, people with disabilities, families with strollers and others who have not always been able to move through the building easily.

During construction, Sunday worship was planned outdoors at Sunset Park at 9 a.m. and at Traverse Bay Sanctuary at 11 a.m. The congregation also expected a sale of the Traverse Bay United Methodist Church property on Ramsdell Street to help cover remaining costs, as the church’s role downtown shifts from a fixed interior gathering place to a more accessible civic presence.