Good News! We are wrapping up the Final Development Plan with the city. All that remains is administrative cleanup, items like escrowing funds, paying fees, and recording our project. Our architectural team is working on putting the whole package together, and everything should be finalized by the end of the month.Â
Our project has been submitted to the building department and is undergoing code review. A complete review won’t commence until everything is finalized with the planning department. We are hoping that will be early April.
The picture is not as rosy on the financial front. As we have experienced delays in our progress, prices have continued to rise. We do not have a final number from our contractor, but we were $300K over on the construction budget at the last report. Our contingency funds do not completely cover the overrun. We will need to have contingency funds available to cover unforeseen circumstances that arise during construction.Â
As you remember from the initial project approval vote two years ago, we have always known we’d need a “close-the-gap” phase of our capital campaign. One year ago, we asked the architect to redesign the project to reduce costs as much as possible without reducing functionality, and they shaved an estimated $900,000 off the total project cost. This allowed us to postpone further fundraising for another year, but the time is coming to renew our efforts and hold this long-anticipated stage of our capital campaign.Â
If you have already given, thank you so much. Your generosity brings our vision to life and leaves a legacy for future generations. If you are able to help us finish strong by increasing your capital campaign pledge or making a new or additional gift, please contact Katie Watkins at katie@foothillsuu.org or 970-493-5906, ext. 101.Â
Returning to exciting news, we met the members of our construction team at our last meeting with our contractor. It made everything seem more real to meet the folks who will carry our project across the finish line!
Brandon Lindsey is Project Manager. He oversees the project schedule and does most of the administrative tasks. He has a BS in construction management from CSU and has worked with Pinkard for nine years.
Quentin Lowe is Construction Superintendent. He will be onsite most of the time, so you probably will see him around. He does the magic to make construction occur. He has a BS in construction management from CSU and has worked in construction for ten years, three with Pinkard.
Blake Chambliss is the Construction Manager. The BET met Blake during the interview process, so he’s been in on the project since the beginning.
We will be saying goodbye to Rick Converse when construction starts. He has helped and advised us and the architectural team since Pinkard was hired. We have really enjoyed working with him, and he promises to check in a few times during construction.
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A few other important notices:
Asbestos remediation is scheduled for March 28 – April 9. During this time, the social hall will be inaccessible. The kitchen will be sealed off but may be accessed through the outside door. The sound booth and the closet next to it will also be sealed. All materials, furnishings, etc. will be cleared from the space. This includes items like tables and chairs that are currently stored in the janitorial closet next to the kitchen. The book closet next to the sound booth will be sealed off but need not be cleared.Â
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Mulch is still available. There is a pile at the east end of the upper (east) parking lot that came from the trees that were removed to make way for the new sanctuary. There is a second pile near the bike racks that is also available for the taking. Spring and the associated yard work will be here soon, so plan ahead and grab some mulch!
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During construction, the lower (west) parking lot will be closed. The parking lot will become home to five dumpsters for all the different materials to be recycled, the construction trailer, materials, and equipment. The entire construction area, including the parking lot, will be fenced to provide safety and security. Â
Do you have training or professional experience in the area of interior design? The Building Expansion Team is looking for some volunteers to work with our architects in defining a color palette and materials for the new sanctuary. The architects expect four meetings of approximately two hours each. Beyond that, there will be other furnishing items (such as church chairs) that need to be selected. Click here to let us know you’re interested in joining the furnishings team! (Please fill out the form by Friday, March 25th!)
Thank you again for your interest in this exciting project! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at buildingexpansion@foothillsuu.org.
The Building Expansion Team