Warrnambool's Salvation Army hopes to expand its services if it relocates to the indoor tennis centre on Mortlake Road.
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Major Brett Allchin said it was hoped the new premises would become a community hub, with plans for a cafe and spaces where people could congregate.
"We're looking at it as an opportunity to extend what we do for the community of Warrnambool," Mr Allchin said.
"We're designing the building to allow for maximum community involvement."
Mr Allchin said the Salvation Army Corps in Lava Street had limited space.
"We'd be looking to be there no later than the middle of 2022," he said.
Mr Allchin said tennis was likely to continue at the site for some time, with a lease in place. "We will continue to work with them for as long as we possibly can," he said.
The planning application for the site at 58-60 Mortlake Road has been advertised by the Warrnambool City Council.
The 9899-square metre site would host a number of activities, the application states, including Sunday worship, Bible study sessions, Corps cadets, youth group, men's group, women's group, a playgroup, choir, brass band and offer outreach services.
Proposed hours of activity are normal business hours during the week with some activities at night that usually finish by 8.30pm as well as activities each Sunday morning.
The building would occupy 1330-square metres of the site and would feature a split level roof.
It would comprise a main worship room, a multipurpose room and youth hall, a parents' room, play area, kitchen, servery and storage rooms, a staff lunchroom and office and interview rooms.
"The facilities on this site are ageing and are no longer fit for purpose for the contemporary operations of The Salvation Army in the Great South Coast region," the planning application said.
The constraints of the current site are reducing the capacity of The Salvation Army to deliver the community services and support that are reasonably expected from a place of worship which serves the wider region.
"The Salvation Army purchased the subject site at 58-60 Mortlake Road in 2016, recognising the potential for the site to serve as a more suitable location for their place of worship," the application said.
"Due to the subject site being located within the Northpoint Village Neighbourhood Activity Centre Precinct, the site is highly accessible by public transport, bicycle, foot, and motor vehicles, for church members who reside within Warrnambool and church members from further afield."
Submissions on the proposal close on Friday, November 20.
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