[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We’re back!
After our pandemic break, the Building Expansion Team (BET) is back on the job. When we left you, the board had authorized going forward with our building project and the congregation approved the financing plan. Since then much has changed. The BET has been looking at our new world and identified some questions to address:
- Do we need to make some design changes to provide safer indoor air quality?
- Will congregants be able to continue making capital campaign pledge payments?
- Are there other budgeting issues?
- Do we need to reprioritize?
- Can we move ahead?
We have been meeting, discussing and talking to Ewers architecture and YES! we believe we can and should move ahead. We are behind schedule, but plan to give our architects the go ahead to begin the final design within the next few weeks.
Peter Ewers has done some research and has many ideas on how to provide for social distancing and air circulation to improve indoor safety, and some possible ideas for expanding into the outdoors when weather permits.
We are still on track with pledge payments. Our financing plan had a gap that we may not be able to fill and our plan to use rental income to make loan payments is not feasible at the moment. We are working with Ewers and Pinkard (our general contractor) to determine how much of the project we can accomplish with the amount currently pledged.
The congregation overwhelmingly chose the sanctuary as the top building priority. We still feel that is the correct course. We know many of you are dreaming of the day we can meet in person again. We hope we can have a beautiful space to do that when the time comes.
We will be in touch, keeping you updated as plans progress. Thanks to all of you who made pledges to the capital campaign. We are so excited to be moving forward again![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]