Bethany withdraws plans for church near Towne Center

Published Jul 16, 2012 at 10:00 am (Updated Jul 16, 2012)

Bethany World Prayer Center has withdrawn its application for a proposed 1,050-seat church on Jefferson Highway, next to Towne Center. Via its engineer, the church sent a letter to the city-parish Planning Commission on Friday announcing the plan has been put on hold. Bethany was scheduled to present a revision of the project plan to the Planning Commission tonight, after deferring the presentation last month. It also deferred its original presentation in May on the 25,000-square-foot church after the one driveway in the proposal—working as both an entranceway and exit—met opposition from nearby residents. Bethany failed to acquire land from nearby State Farm to build a second exit for the parking lot. Church representatives were not available to provide further comment this morning. "We apologize for any inconvenience this withdrawal may cause," says G. Wayne Sledge of GWS Engineering Inc. for Bethany World Prayer Center in the letter sent to the Planning Commission. Bethany wanted to build on a 4.9-acre plot on the south side of Jefferson Highway and west of Towne Center Boulevard, where a credit union was originally slated to be built. Bethany has two campuses: one in Baker and one off Siegen Lane near Interstate 10. A former campus in Plaquemine is closed. The Planning Commission meets at 5 p.m. at City Hall, 222 St. Louis St. See the agenda for tonight's meeting here. —Adam Pearson