Mike Wolanin | The Republic Contractors repair the concrete walkway outside First Christian Church in Columbus, Ind., Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023.
Construction work is continuing on the plaza at First Christian Church.
F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co. Inc. is replacing the concrete plaza located in front of the church on Fifth Street.
The cost of the church’s tower repair project is $3.1 million. Over the past nine months, workers have focused on fixing wear-and-tear cracks in the brick and environmental damage on the 166-foot structure designed by Eliel Saarinen.
Builders said at the beginning of the work months ago that the plaza surface would be redone due to the sheer weight of having a crane on site for an extended period of time.
The church and the tower, dating to 1942, were the first Modernist buildings in a city that has earned global acclaim for its tall, architectural legacy. That realm of acclaim included national media coverage in then-widely-esteemed publications such as Time and Newsweek magazines.
The restoration project has represented teamwork among local architect Louis Joyner and the Wilhelm firm with Landmark Columbus, First Christian’s congregation, Friends of First Christian Church Architecture, The Heritage Fund — the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, and the Columbus Area Visitors Center.
