Big changes at old church

SANDPOINT — Big changes are happening at the old Catholic church building.

A historic building with distinctive architecture, the former St. Joesph’s Catholic church on Oak Street has stood vacant since the religious community moved to its large, new facility at the southern end of town.

Those days will soon come to an end. In January of this year, Susie and Mark Kubiak purchased the building and are now overhauling it from the inside out.

“We’re restoring it and bringing it into the 21st century,” Susie Kubiak said.

The Kubiaks first began looking at the building a couple years ago but were unable to purchase it at the time. They were drawn to the old church for its scenic location and the historic nature of the building itself. Between the beauty of the trees, the elegance of the structure itself, and its convenient location near downtown Sandpoint, the value of the facility was obvious to the Kubiaks. By revitalizing the structure and putting it back to use, they aim to bring the building back into use by the community.

Part of that means restoring the structure based on the modern standards of environmentally-friendly and efficient construction. Headed up by architect Bruce Millard, the building will be enhanced with new energy efficient measures and improvements.

“He focuses on the kind of green, sustainable architecture we were looking for,” Kubiak said.

However, the building will maintain the iconic style that make it such an eye-catching feature of the neighborhoods. A new entrance lobby will be the only expansion onto the building. All the other improvements, like a roof replacement and new bricks and finishes, will preserve the building’s appearance to the highest degree possible.

“Whatever improvements we make will not negate the church’s historic architecture,” Kubiak said.

Currently, the work centers on the chapel portion of the building. As the project progresses, improvements will move into the western annex. Pucci Construction has taken on the role of contractor, and its workers will continue to shape the building according to Millard’s specifications.

Work will likely continue until next spring or summer before the building is restored. However, Kubiak said it’s difficult to plan that far ahead.

“Because it’s a renovation, things come up that you never really anticipated,” Kubiak said.

Once the project is complete, the Kubiaks have several uses in mind. The building can be used for community events like weddings, assemblies, concerts, lectures or banquets. The western annex could also be suitable for office space. However, the value of the building isn’t just in its commercial viability — it’s also in the old bricks and timbers themselves.

“Hopefully, this will be a big part of a neighborhood that is a really beautiful corner of Sandpoint someday soon,” Kubiak said.