The Salvation Army is an international Protestant church and charitable organization. Annual Salvation Army Camp meetings have been held in Old Orchard Beach since 1885, convening Salvationists from the Northeast region together for worship and ministry and bringing family-friendly performers and activities.
The camp meetings are held for about a week in late July or early August, and according to Maj. Bryan Smith with the Old Orchard Beach Salvation Army, typically bring about 800 to 1,000 people to town.
The Salvation Army is planning an expansion of the Old Orchard Beach campus, located at Sixth and Church streets that would give enough space for the growing camp meetings without impacting local operations, said Smith.
According to Planning Board documents, the Salvation Army is proposing: an addition of about 12,000 square feet to the existing building, parking lots between Union Avenue and Church Streets, a loading and unloading area adjacent to the addition, as well as sidewalks, landscaping, infrastructure and other site work to support the proposed addition and parking lots.
The Salvation Army has purchased some abutting properties to accommodate the proposed expansion, and Tuesday morning a house on Church Street was being torn down to make room for the project.
The expansion will also help the Salvation Army increase its local programming, said Smith. The church hosts children’s programs and free community lunches and provides assistance to people in Old Orchard Beach as well as Arundel, Biddeford, Dayton and Saco through social service and emergency assistance programs.
Smith said the expansion will include a “junior high sized” gymnasium, a computer laboratory and classroom space, and add 90 seats to the chapel.
Smith said the expansion is being funded by the Salvation Army corporate office and he considers it a gift to the local branch.
“It allows us to serve the community better,” he said.
The Planning Board is holding a public hearing on the proposed expansion at 7 p.m. Thursday at Town Hall.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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