PARKING
UPDATE AS OF 6/16/23:
On June 26: The Chapel parking lot will be unavailable for six weeks. The south parking lot of the main church building will remain open as will parking on side streets, and Ward Parkway on Sundays.
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Those needing accessible parking will have reserved parking in the south parking lot on 61st Terrace on Sundays. As usual there will be parking directed by a security guard on Ward Parkway. The Chapel lot will be available for parking as well, however during the summer it will be closed for up to 6 weeks for regrading/resurfacing.
During the week, the south lot will also include a significant number of accessible spaces for a short walk to the south entrance. Staff will park at the chapel or on the street.
The two best places for parking during construction are street parking along 61st Street or 61st Terrace. We also continue to have parking directed by a security guard along Ward Parkway on Sunday mornings. Those needing accessible parking will have reserved parking in the south parking lot on 61st Terrace on Sundays.
The new east entry includes a door facing 61st St. just steps from a new drop-off area next to the street. All the parking on the south side of the church will become handicapped parking and a camera/buzzer installed at the south door.to the sanctuary will provide easy weekday access. Staff will park at the Chapel or on the street. Additionally, there will be new handicapped spaces designated at the south end of the chapel lot. These spaces will be about the same distance from your car to the new lobby door as the current spaces behind the church. We will no longer have those spaces in the alley on the east side of the church
BUILDING ENTRY
During the week the church and Chapel are open by appointment only. On Sunday, our 9:01 service continues to meet on the lawn, with both 10:00 and 11:00 services in the Chapel. Bathroom access is limited on Sunday to the Chapel, and childcare for 11am is limited to children ages 2 and under.
Staff are working both at the church and/or remotely throughout the summer, depending on what area or type of construction is happening. We ask that if you need to come to the main church building, Monday through Friday, please first call 816.333.4917 before stopping by. We will then make arrangements to let you into the building.
UPDATE AS OF 6/16/23:
Starting on June 19: If you need to come to the main church building, Monday through Friday, please first call the office at 816.333.4917 before stopping by. We will have to let you into the building.
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The east entrance will be closed as soon as construction begins. On Sundays all other entrances will be open.
On weekdays, the south entrance on 61st Terrace will serve as the main entrance. The door is not locked during business hours. We’ve installed a motion camera at a the door which our receptionist monitors for everyone’s security. Once you come inside, you can find our receptionist at a temporary desk in The Well.
A new entryway will make it easy for all first-time visitors, members, friends and guests to locate the entry and will communicate to our neighbors that they are welcome here. A new lobby reception center will include comfortable seating to gather over a cup of coffee. The outdoor courtyard will create an inviting space for conversations and a link to the multi-purpose green space to be used for children, family and adult ministries. Parents can drop children for the preschool through the new lobby after using a new, safe crosswalk over 61st St and then linger to enjoy all the welcoming enhancements.
SUNDAY SERVICES
During the summer months the Sanctuary and Social Hall will be closed to install major HVAC improvements, a sprinkler system and upgraded audio.
During this time the 9:01 service will be outside as in the past. The 10am and 11am services will take place in the Chapel. The 11 am chapel service will be livestreamed.
CONSTRUCTION
Construction is on time and on budget after completing the first three months of construction. The Building Committee is pleased with how the project is going and anticipates both the preschool remodel and Chapel lot will be complete by late August. The Sanctuary and Parlor should reopen mid-September. We expect a “ribbon cutting” for The Next 100 project around the first of the year if all continues to go well.
A new entryway will make it easy for all first-time visitors, members, friends and guests to locate the entry and will communicate to our neighbors that they are welcome here. A new lobby reception center will include comfortable seating to gather over a cup of coffee. The outdoor courtyard will create an inviting space for conversations and a link to the multi-purpose green space to be used for children, family and adult ministries. Parents can drop children for the preschool through the new lobby after using a new, safe crosswalk over 61st St and then linger to enjoy all the welcoming enhancements.
We have shared our plans with the neighbors immediately adjacent to us throughout the project and received positive feedback. We also discussed our plans with the Neighborhood Association to gain their support.
The infrastructure upgrades will result in improved air quality, more efficient use of electricity, and lower consumption of water, which are cornerstones of sustainable design and will provide the largest impact. We also recognize that we’re adding square footage to the building and increasing the amount of fresh air brought in for ventilation which will offset some of the savings from our sustainable design.
For budget reasons, remodeled bathrooms, the “social kitchen” and new industrial kitchen are not currently in the construction contract. We will look at committing to these projects and others this fall after assessing where we are on contingency spending and fundraising.
We’ll refurbish the elevator with new mechanical and electronic systems plus an updated interior. The elevator speed will increase 20% to 30% which means your trip after doors close should take a little more than 30 seconds from basement to third floor before the doors reopen. The refurbishment will also make the elevator more responsive, safe and reliable for passengers .
A team of lay leaders and staff have been working with an architect since the fall of 2018 to develop a Master Plan. Input from members through First Impressions meetings and a feasibility survey helped us adjust plans based on how much support there was for projects and how much money could be raised. The team used feedback from the congregation and congregational board in working with architects on final design which had to be changed significantly when construction costs escalated dramatically in 2021/22. The final construction contract and financing strategy were approved by the Congregational Board.
FINANCING
We have raised $12.1 million on the current $14 million budget which includes a contingency of about $1 million. We will take out a short-term line of credit during construction as pledges come in. Interest is currently budgeted up to $50,000 per quarter. This amount will decrease as pledges are paid and additional gifts are made. Our most recent forecast shows that we would start paying interest this early this fall.
As of March 31, 2023, we have collected just over $6.5 million. We are estimating that we will begin using a construction loan and paying interest early this fall. This loan and interest will decrease as pledges are paid and additional gifts are made.