What's being built across the street from Mike's Dance Barn in Brown County?

The Nashville Jehovah’s Witness congregation is building a bigger place of worship.

The congregation is building a nearly 3,000-square-foot, single-story Kingdom Hall on the north side of Ind. 46, across the highway from Mike’s Music & Dance Barn.

Chris Kimball, a regional spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, said the organization calls places of worship Kingdom Halls.

The new hall, at 2150 Ind. 46W, is being built about 4 miles south of Nashville, past a hilly section of the state highway and the West Gate of Brown County State Park. The hall will be about 11 miles east of Bloomington.

County documents list as the property’s owner the Nashville Congregation of Jehovah's Witness, based at 2123 Greasy Creek Road.

Kimball said via text the existing hall, which the congregation has been using for many years, was getting too small.

The new facility "will allow room for more people to enjoy a modern, comfortable learning environment in a great location," he said.

The construction site includes a cafe, set up in a tent, to provide nourishment for the workers.

The nearly 2-acre property has been in possession of the congregation since 2006. The warranty deed shows that in that year, Michael J. Robertson, Jennie L. Robertson, Michael Joseph Robertson, Jonathan Craig Robertson and Randall Ray Robertson deeded the property to the congregation.

The Robertson family also owns and runs Mike’s Dance Barn, a venue that offers live music, dance lessons and can be rented for events.

The building permit for the new hall was issued by the Brown County Area Plan Commission/Building Department in May 2023, and some work was done last year. Brown County Building Commissioner Lonnie Farlee said the property sat idle over the winter, but construction has picked up again this spring.

Kimball said hundreds of volunteers will travel from across the Midwest to help with construction.

"In some cases, they will come from other parts of the country," he said. "For example, one family with specialized construction skills will travel from Florida to work on the project."

Kimball said construction is expected to be completed in August.

He said Kingdom Halls "are always open to the public and visitors. Study sessions are free, and no collections are taken."

Farlee said the property did not need to be rezoned.

People will enter the property from the state road. Kimball said a passing lane on the south side of the highway allows eastbound traffic to pass drivers who are turning left into the Kingdom Hall parking lot.

Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: What's being built across Ind. 46 from Mike's Dance Barn in Nashville?