T-R PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ
Restore Church, 134 E. Main St., has recently had the chance to take over the entire ground floor of the Tallcorn to expand its operation. Here Pastor Dylan Does and his son Xavier survey the new space, which adds up to six additional rooms.

Expanding floor space without having to relocate isn’t an opportunity everyone gets. But Restore Church, 134 E. Main St., has recently had the chance to take over the entire ground floor of the Tallcorn.

The church is going from having 7,200 square feet of space to 8,750 square feet, utilizing space previously occupied by REM Iowa.

Restore Church opened its doors on Oct. 4, 2015 — the 87th anniversary of the former Hotel Tallcorn’s grand opening.

“We had been thinking about expansion since probably a few months after we launched, but we were trying to find the right spot,” Pastor Dylan Does said. “We really love being in the heart of Marshalltown. The theology of place is really important to me.”

The added space, which amounts to the acquisition of six rooms, will expand the kids’ ministry and open up space that could be used by the general public to hold meetings. Gaining the area also helps streamline the church’s operation.

“It changes a lot of the flow for us, because the REM office made us two distinct areas, and now we can flow all the way around the floor. It will make it less maze-like,” he said. “We want to make sure the space is functional for the community. We could never do more than two activities at one time here.”

Son Xavier said kids like himself will have a new and improved area in which to play and worship.

Painting and some minimal changes to the space still need to be completed. New furnishings and audio/visual equipment will be brought in.

Does said the project is expected to be finished either by the start of the school year or in September. The goal is to raise $10,000.

Sunday service is held in the Tallcorn ballroom at 9:15 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. A nursery is available for infants to age 3, and a kids’ service is for those age 4 through fourth grade.

The church has been offering tours of the new space after worship services. Xavier and other youth have hosted a lemonade stand to help raise the needed funds.

“The tornado helped define why we’re called Restore,” Does said. “It just makes God’s providence in the whole situation and we take that responsibility pretty seriously. We’re here to be a community and team player. If we’re just doing stuff within our four walls, we’re not doing church.”