Father Roland of Sacred Heart Church, left, and Nick Pello of Pello Framing pose in front of the redwood pavilion under construction behind Parish Hall in Gridley. The church property sits at the corner of Oregon and Sycamore streets. Photo by Seti Long

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - A redwood pavilion has quickly taken shape behind Sacred Heart Parish Hall in Gridley.

Nick Pello, owner of Pello Framing, led the assembly of the 23-foot-high pavilion built for use by the local Catholic church and the community.

Father Roland of Sacred Heart Parish said the inspiration for an outdoor gathering space dates back to 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when services moved online or outdoors to protect public health.

At the time, the area served as a basketball court. As outdoor services continued, the idea for a pavilion began to take root.

Since then, the pavilion has been in development. Father Roland said the project came to fruition thanks to several generous donors.

The project has drawn attention around town. The structure features 12-by-12-inch solid redwood beams assembled in a mortise and tenon style.

Father Roland said the pavilion’s design was meant to echo the architecture of the church, noting the similar exposed beams found inside both structures.

The redwood pavilion began drawing attention in the community as the timber frame rose earlier this month. This photo shows the initial placement of the structure before the beams were fully secured. Photo by Seti Long

Nick Pello Framing has been leading a crew assembling the pre-cut timber design from Western Timber Frame in Utah.

Pello has worked with timbers since he was 17 years old, first creating chainsaw carvings from logs before moving on to building log cabin-style homes and structures.

The solid redwood pavilion marks one of the first large-scale timber builds he has completed in some time. Pello said he would take on another similar project after seeing how this one has come together.

As for the mortise and tenon construction process, Pello said it can be tedious.

“You have to know your equipment,” Pello said, adding that a skilled crew is essential when positioning large timbers.

Pello has worked with Father Roland and project manager Ron Fuchs of BCM Construction in Chico on the project, which broke ground around March 5.

At the time of publication, crews were still installing the roof. Pello expects the project to be completed before the end of the week.

Father Roland hopes to celebrate the pavilion’s completion with the congregation. The parish also plans to host a Silent Disco at the venue that will be open to the community.