In a special ceremony in January, Loma Linda University (LLU) officials handed over keys for Gentry Gymnasium to leaders of the Loma Spanish Church. Built in 1966, the geodesic aluminum dome was no longer in use.

“Two nearby universities wanted to buy the gym,” said LLU Chancellor Richard Hart. “But we chose to give it to this local church. In exchange, they will pay to dismantle and move it. The church has quite a vision for how this will enable them to better serve the Loma Linda community.”

The dome will be reconstructed at the corner of New Jersey and Orange streets in Redlands. The church purchased the 8.9-acre orange grove in 2004 for $850,000.

“The large space will allow the church to become a center for conference-wide Hispanic events,” said Mario Perez, vice president for Hispanic ministries in the Southeastern California Conference. The building has a diameter of 120 feet. Including the 90’ x 90’ gym floor, Sabbath school classrooms, offices and worship areas on the mezzanine level, the structure will provide about 35,000 square feet of useable space.

“We will have two worship areas, one for adults and one for youth. The total seating capacity on the mezzanine level will be about 700. On the gym floor we can seat another 2,000 for special events,” explained David Estanque, building committee chair. Eventually, a separate sanctuary will be constructed.

“In addition to worship and sports activities, we expect to provide a variety of community services,” says Jose M. Garcia, senior pastor. Some are already offered at the church’s rental site, including counseling, tutoring school children, English as a second language (ESL) classes, and a diabetes support group. At the new center, the church expects to add a dental office and medical clinic.

Costs for moving, rebuilding and rehabilitating the dome, along with site preparations, are estimated at about $1.6 million. Ground-breaking is scheduled for this summer.