The big news this month is that we have scheduled a groundbreaking celebration for May 17th! This day was a long time coming, and we are so excited to kick off the start of construction. We will be sending more information soon. In the meantime, mark your calendars. You’ve all helped make this possible, so join in the celebration!
At long last, we have our finalized development agreement with the city and have filed all the necessary easements for recording. The entire team: BET, architects, and contractors are relieved to have this finalized after more than nine months of effort. No one dreamed it would take this long. Our contractor said they have been having the same problem all along the Front Range. Our delight is tempered by the fact that we now move on to the building permit process. Â
Our optimistic timeline for the building permit is early June. This includes a review by the zoning department. Once that is complete, our application will be submitted to other City departments for review. We assume there will be additional comments and resubmittals. The hope is that all that will be concluded by May 20, and we will receive a permit in early June. Concurrently, we will submit an application to the fire department.Â
On the financial front, we closed on our construction loan with FBNO! Another milestone passed with difficulty. The contractor needed to have the loan finalized before contracting with the sub-contractors. The bank wanted to have a building permit before closing. Thanks to Katie Watkins for sticking with it and finding a way to get the job done.
We have received a price quote from Xcel Energy for moving our gas line. The quote was under budget! We haven’t had anything come in under budget so far, so this was very exciting. The other preconstruction task is the installation of the electric transformer. The next step is to hold a DCP (Development Construction Permit) meeting. That will allow Fort Collins utilities to move ahead with scheduling the work.
On the fun side, the BET took a field trip to the Genesis Project to see their sound and video equipment. The Worship Pastor, Oliver Miguel, whose duties include music and sound, showed us around the building. It was helpful to see the video equipment in action. Genesis Project recently completed an expansion of their building with an auditorium about the same size as our planned sanctuary. It made the drawings a little more real to stand in a completed building.
The asbestos work has been completed in the social hall. We have heard some concerns about air quality in the aftermath. The contracted work includes air testing. The room was not unsealed until the air was clean.
When clearing out the social hall prior to starting work, it became apparent that we needed some extra storage space during construction. There is now a POD in the east parking lot that will allow things (like extra chairs and tables) to be out of the building but still available if needed.
DON’T FORGET!! GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY ON MAY 17th!!
In partnership,
The Building Expansion Team