Read the full issue of this week’s newsletter here: The Weekly Liberal July 9

When the church building closed in March and the reality of the global pandemic and economic uncertainty began to sink in, our approach to planned summer renovations shifted. We split the project into two phases, determining that Phase I would encompass work on the education wing of the building and would happen during summer 2020.

In May, staff packed and moved everything from the education wing into the social hall. Though we experienced delays in permitting due to the pandemic, our facilities staff were able to get started on some preliminary work while we waited for the permits to come through. They also used the opportunity presented by the building’s closure to work on projects such as cleaning and painting the kitchen. 

Renovations on the education wing side of the building began in earnest in early June and are now well underway! Construction crews have spent most of the first month on demolition and abatement. Because the plans involve extensive reworking of the layout of rooms, a number of walls on both the first and second floors have been removed, along with existing restrooms, flooring, ceiling tiles, lighting, and electrical.

Now that demo is complete, layout and framing have begun on the second floor, and plumbing and electrical work are moving forward. Additional abatement is scheduled for this coming week, after which contractors can proceed with layout and framing on the first floor.

We have received grants for the high efficiency HVAC units that will be installed on the roof, and we are pursuing grants for new LED lighting throughout the wing.

Phase 1 of the project (work on the eduction wing) is scheduled to be completed this fall. When it is done, we will have realized some of the key visions around which we built our capital campaign: a central entrance that is accessible and welcoming; religious education and adult meeting spaces that better meet the needs of our congregation and our community; and completion of critical repairs.  There will be opportunities for volunteers to help with painting and landscaping when we get to that point later this summer – stay tuned!

A few photos of how the inside of the education wing currently looks are available here!