In place of a more typical Rambling, today I write with an update on our Parish Hall repairs.

As many of you know, we discovered some serious moisture issues in the existing parish hall building this past spring. The Vestry and staff have been working to understand the scope of the problem and its solution ever since. The size and design of the roof, the crawlspace, and the grading around the building have all contributed to the problems we're addressing. As a result, we are facing extensive repairs and remediation to ensure the long-term stability of the structure.  

After working with engineers and architects over the summer months, the recommendations are to encapsulate and electronically dehumidify our crawlspace. We must also remove existing spray foam insulation on the underside of the floor joists to locate existing rot and prevent future rot in those locations. Severely damaged sections will be replaced.

We must also remove the brick patio and existing ADA ramp near the choir room because the grade of the brick patio is above the masonry foundation grade of the building itself. Without significant changes, rainwater will always find its way into that area of the structure. That area of the building has seen extensive damage and has been repaired at least three times in the last 20 years. This upcoming repair will be the most extensive, and it is our intent to make it the last.

In addition to the work under the building, the parish hall is in need of a new roof, guttering to handle rainwater, and mechanical remediation to remove rainwater from around the foundation. Initial bidding has indicated the cost will be at least $325,000 to accomplish all of this work. Those figures are not final bids. We expect those figures could rise as we work with a contractor to revisit the bids to fulfill the full recommendations of the architect. We are still seeking additional bids. The current economic climate has made it difficult to find contractors interested in doing this work, but our project management team is working hard to find companies who will bid on this work.

We are taking our time to ensure that we make the best decision for the long term. As we assess Phase One of the Master Plan, which called for renovations to portions of the Parish Hall building anyway, we may incorporate some of these repairs with those renovations. In the meantime, we are making our building ADA accessible by installing a ramp on the front of the building, and we have closed off the hallway where a section of the floor is missing and are running mechanical air cleaners to ensure mold does not enter the rest of the building.

The Vestry has not decided how we will fund this work, but it is clear it will either be from our Endowment Funds, which are, by policy, available for capital projects, or through our Capital Campaign as we restart it in the new year. It may be a combination of both. We are clear that our goal is to be good stewards of what has been passed on to us so that we can pass it to those who come after. It is disappointing that we are addressing such serious problems with a structure that is only 20 years old, but it is our sincere intent that these problems are not passed on to future generations.  

Please stay tuned in the New Year for an update on the scope and project list for Phase One of the Master Plan, and to hear the about the restart to the Capital Campaign. The project to relocate Frederica Road is well underway, and we are preparing to make decisions about moving forward on the parking area at Christ Church, the parking area at St. Ignatius, and the Labyrinth. It is an exciting time, even if we are faced with some additional, unforeseen challenges.  

If you have any questions about any of this work, feel free to reach out to me or one of our wardens, Beth Smith and David Blatchford.  

Tom+

Almighty God, the heaven of heavens cannot contain you, yet you have promised to be present wherever two or three are gathered together in your name. Grant, we pray, your heavenly blessing to this house of prayer and all places where your people gather, which have been built for your honor and glory; and sanctify with your abiding presence the lives of all those who you draw to this place, this day and always, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.