Plans to build a massive church are moving ahead in Plymouth after getting approval by the city council Tuesday night.
Eagle Brook Church had threatened to sue the city if it didn't get approval for the 64,000 square foot facility at the northwest corner of Chankahda Trail and Maple Grove Parkway. The church would have a seating capacity of up to 1,500 people.
Plans were initially rejected by the council last month due to traffic and environmental concerns from some residents. The area has been heavily developed with new housing creating concern of traffic backups due to the large church capacity.
The approval came with a few conditions including road, access, landscaping, and building design requirements.
Some council members, in initially rejecting the plan from the church, said the existing land could be better used for low-income housing. Ultimately, the proposal was passed with three councilmembers dissenting.
The land, one of the last farm plots left in Plymouth, is still privately owned, but Eagle Brook Church has a purchase agreement with the current owners.
Eagle Brook Church, a Baptist-Evangelical denomination based in Centerville, MN, has a dozen churches scattered across the Twin Cities and Rochester. They are the largest church in Minnesota based on weekly attendance.