(Michigan City, IN) - A Michigan City couple are members of a church that used to be inside an over century old house of worship demolished this week due to safety concerns over the building.

 

Robert and Tracy McLean were also married in the building in 1986 when it was home to the Full Gospel Church of Deliverance.  For a number of years, Mrs. McLean taught Sunday school in classrooms set up in the basement.

 

“Very heartbreaking,” she said.

 

In more recent times, the structure at 301 E. Barker Ave. was home to God’s Grace Church.

 

Mr. McLean said the inside of the church building resembled a “movie theatre” with pews on a sloped floor running down to the pulpit and a balcony.

 

“It was a neat old church, but even back in the 80’s it needed work,” she said.

 

The last time the McLean’s were in the building was about 1990 when their church relocated to another part of Michigan City at 2700 Ohio St. where it still is today.

 

He also felt a tugging at his heart from the demolition.

 

“It was like losing a family member.  I had a lot of good memories and a lot of good times there,” he said.

 

The structure was condemned by the city after barricades were placed around the structure in November from the risk of a bulging and cracked brick outside wall collapsing.

 

During a Board of Public Works & Safety meeting then, Interim Minister Lisa Jackson appealed for additional time to obtain a cost estimate to see if the necessary repairs were financially within reach of her congregation.

 

But, after numerous bricks recently dropped from the still unrepaired wall, demolition crews moved in Wednesday and knocked down the building.

 

Skyler York, the city’s Director of Planning and Inspection, said demolition orders are a last resort once all previous attempts to get properties into compliance with local codes have failed.