The Renovation Project
In an effort to keep you informed of the status of our renovations, each week we will update this page with the latest information and pictures. No matter where you are this summer, you will be able to keep track of our progress!
April 29 2013
And here it is....
April 28 2013
The hallway downstairs is almost complete...
April 21 2013
The Cooling Tower has arrived. See it being placed on our rooftop:
March 18, 2013
The kitchen is finally coming together. The outdoor windows were recently installed and NOW the indoor windows have been put in place (well, the frames are there - we have to wait a little longer, for the leaded glass windows have yet to arrive...but soon!). See the picutres below:
February 12, 2013
The new space is taking shape! Drywall is being hung in the cellar level, stenciling will begin in the chapel, and final touches are being made to the kitchen. The pictures below show the progress in the new Children & Youth Area. As we are all aware, the process has taken longer than anticipated. The completion date for the entire project is now June. With the age of the church, additional issues have been encountered that need to be addressed. Though this slows down the process, the good news is that it prepares the space for its next one hundred years of ministry!
January 1, 2013
First, thank you to everyone for being so patience and flexible during the renovation process. Because of this, we have been able to continue our programs by creative use of space.
The project is taking longer than anticipated, which is probably not a surprise to anyone, but we are beginning to see how wonderful it will be when complete. It is going to expand our capacity for ministry.
In January we will have use of the Parlor and Kitchen! There is still work to be done, but we will be able to move some of our programs back into that space. We owe a special thank you to Debbie Lee Foon and Merle Edward for their creativity and perseverance in preparing meals for us without a kitchen. They are remarkable!
The Chapel will not be ready until February, but it will be fantastic when complete. With the addition of wainscoting and stenciling, we’ll be able to see the original beauty of the space. Though they are still working on the Chapel, they are creating a hallway through the space so we no longer have to go outside to get to our classrooms. This will be a welcome addition as the temperatures drop.
November 16, 2012
It's poured!
November 8, 2012
Workers are getting ready to pour concrete for the floor in the downstairs corridor.
October 31, 2012
Construction is moving ahead boldly. We hope to be able to use the newly renovated parlor, chapel and kitchen in December, which completes the first major phase of construction. This will make it much easier to run our programs, and it will allow us to resume lunch together after Sunday’s service!
The second phase to be completed will be the old nursery area and the cellar level below the chapel. And then they will work to finish the third and final phase, which is the completion of the cellar level below the sanctuary. It will take several months to complete these two phases.
October 17, 2012
Renovations have begun in the cellar level below the sanctuary. When finished there will be a beautiful new nursery as well as multi-purpose space.
Staff now occupy the new office area. We’re awaiting new systems furniture and a few finishing touches to complete the space.
The removal of walls will allow more light to enter the Chapel & Parlor.
August 23, 2012
Progress is being made. The new office area will soon be occupied. The updating of the Parlor, Chapel and kitchen is in full swing. And in September renovations begin in the Education Center. The goal is to be in the Parlor and Chapel by Thanksgiving and in the basement area by the New Year. This means that for a few months we will have to be flexible in finding new space for our programs, but the wait will be well worth it! See our latest "demo" pictures below:
August 15, 2012
These pictures are of the Parlor, Chapel and nursery - the space is much bigger now that the cabinets and stage have been removed.
July 31, 2012
The construction workers are digging deeper and deeper and the trucks are carting away the excess dirt. We're getting there...
July 13, 2012
What was once the Worship Center is becoming the new Church Office space. The demolition is almost complete.
July 11, 2012
There is NOW a new hallway underneath the sanctuary.
June 28, 2012
The crew is hard at work with their jackhammers to create a new hallway at the cellar level. It will connect the area under the sanctuary with our recovered space under the chapel. They anticipate taking five containers of dirt and concrete away!
June 21, 2012
While summer is usually a slower time in the life of West End, this year it is going to be a very busy season. Basically, everything except the sanctuary is being renovated. On June 25, Phase One of the project began. This involves creating a cellar level hallway connecting the area below the sanctuary to the area we are recovering below the chapel. They are also renovating the second floor above the parlor and chapel into our new office space. Phase Two will begin around August 1, which will include the kitchen, parlor, and chapel areas. The final phase will begin soon after and will focus on the basement level.
The construction crew will be doing its best to stage their work to minimize the impact on our ministries. But for the next six months, we may have to make some adjustments in programming and be creative in our use of space to keep things going. Any short-term inconveniences will be well worth the beauty, function, and increased space this project will provide us.
May 17, 2012
Thank you for all the input you have given formally and informally on the renovation project. We have incorporated this into the latest plans, and the project is moving forward nicely. With this progress, we will be able to begin the project this summer so we can accomplish as much work as possible during a slower time in the life of the church. Permits are now being secured so that work can begin on a phased basis. We hope to begin a preliminary phase of the project later this month: the excavation of the new cellar hallway connecting the classroom area beneath the sanctuary to the recovered area beneath the chapel. This will not affect the use of our current space. In June we will begin renovating the second floor above the chapel into staff offices. And then in July we expect that full construction will be underway.
This means that starting very soon, we are going to see many changes taking place. Therefore we want to provide as much information as we can on the project status, how the work is going to affect the ministry of our church, and what the congregation can expect as the work proceeds. Many of these details are still being finalized, but we now have the revised plans based on your input. Beginning this Sunday, May 20, we will have these plans displayed in the Parlor with people available to answer any questions you may have. And to keep you up to date on the project this web-page will document our progress.
