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St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church is empty right now, but soon construction will begin on seismic and cosmetic upgrades to one of the oldest Catholic churches in the city.

The church’s history goes back more than 100 years, and the current building at 424 S.W. Mill Street in Portland was constructed in 1901 for the Italian community by parishioners, said Father James Mayo.

鈥淚t was built with bricks that were made onsite with all the imperfections of a hand-made structure, but it’s still standing,鈥� he said.

Longtime St. Michael parishioner Gerry Mildner, director of Portland State University’s Center for Real Estate, said the repairs are badly needed.

As a member of St. Michael’s finance council and development committee, Mildner has been helping with planning and fundraising for the seismic upgrades to the church for the last six years.

鈥淚t is one of the most high-profile churches in the archdiocese, a great cultural institution,鈥� he said.

The building is of unreinforced masonry, Mildner said, which wouldn’t hold up in a major earthquake.

Not much has been done to reinforce the building since the 1960s, when guy-wires were installed inside the building to help hold it together.

鈥淚t was a temporary solution and we finally came up with a budget and raised enough funds (for the seismic upgrade) and now we’re within shouting distance,鈥� Mildner said.

The renovations will cost about $5 million, which the church has raised over many years with smaller amounts from parishioners and with larger donations from several Portland philanthropic foundations.

The work will take about 18 months, Mildner said.

The church is modest in size, but provides many services to poor and homeless people by providing daily lunches and a food pantry, Mildner said. While St. Michael’s is under construction, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on Southwest 11^th Avenue will provide lunches two days a week. St. Michael’s church staff also is in talks with William Temple House on Northwest Hoyt Street about providing a food pantry, Mildner said.

DiLoreto Architecture will design the work on the church, which begins next month. Bremik Construction is the general contractor.

DiLoreto project manager Stephanie Fitzhugh said the exterior of the old church will look much the same once the work is completed.

鈥淲e want to ensure that the church will be there for at least another 100 years,鈥� Fitzhugh said. 鈥淭he office building behind the church is being removed and we are building a new office building that will be a little smaller and you’ll be able to see the church better.鈥�

Because of the extensive seismic upgrades, interior finishes in the church will also be improved, she said. Interior finish work is currently out for bid, she added.

St. Michael’s, which about 250 families, is important to the neighborhood because of its ethnically diverse congregation, Fitzhugh said, and because it provides many services to homeless people and others living in poverty.

鈥淚t’s symbolically very important to have that presence downtown,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t’s not a big, grandiose church, but there is a cultural and emotional attachment because of what it used to be, an old Italian neighborhood.鈥�

Structural and civil engineering for the project will be by WDY Structural + Civil Engineers. System Design Consultants will provide additional design consulting for the building.

Bids will be let out in the near future on the 3,000-square-foot church for concrete work, structural steel, masonry and finish carpentry, according to Fitzhugh.