TWIN FALLS — Except for a large special event now and then, like last year’s Festival of Trees, the former Anderson Lumber building on Eastland Drive has sat mostly silent since the store closed in 2002.

But if everything goes as planned, that silence will soon be filled with the sounds of school children playing and of a congregation’s singing.

Lighthouse Christian Fellowship has signed a purchase agreement with Stock Building Supply to buy the 11.5-acre property that includes the 50,924-square-foot ex-lumber store.

“We’ve been working with them to try to come to an agreement for the last 90 days,” Lighthouse Associate Pastor Ron Heath said Monday as he confirmed the agreement.

Twin Falls County once had its eye on the property as a site to expand county offices. But, a county space study noted the former Twin Falls Clinic and Hospital would be a better, and less expensive, place to expand.

Heath wouldn’t say just what the nonprofit, nondenominational Light-house Christian Fellowship will pay for the property, but Twin Falls County Assessor Gerry Bowden said it’s ap-praised at a little more than $3 million.

Heath said the money to buy the property will partly come from the sale of Lighthouse’s properties at 259 Main Ave. E., which houses the sanctuary and junior and senior high schools, and at 3500 East, a mile north of Kimberly, which is now home to the preschool and elementary school.

Lighthouse plans to put a second floor in what used to be the lumber store, which will increase the available space to more than 100,000 square feet. That building will house a 1,500-seat sanctuary and the preschool and elementary school. The property’s warehouse will be remodeled into a junior high and high school.

Heath said Lighthouse hopes to finish remodeling the main building by fall 2007 and the warehouse by fall 2008.

Lighthouse had been looking into building a 100,000-square-foot structure on 15 acres it owns on Filer Avenue East and Carriage. But the former Anderson Lumber property began to look more and more appealing.

“With the building already up, it gives us a huge start to allow us to move forward,” Heath said.

He said Eastside Baptist Church plans to buy the downtown site and someone else plans to buy the site on 3500 East, though he wouldn’t say just who that person is. He said Lighthouse has not yet decided what to do with its 15 acres on Filer Avenue East.

TimesnNews Business Editor Sandy Miller can be reached at 735-3264 or by e-mail at smiller@magicvalley.com.