| The project continues to move along well with activity occurring in several places around our campus. The new electrical equipment required by the city is scheduled to arrive later this month, and the transformer relocation will take place the week of December 7th. The building will be without electricity that week, so the church will be closed and staff will work from home. More details will be provided as we get closer to the date. In addition to the transformer relocation and electrical equipment installation, a number of other things will take place during this time when the building is unoccupied including relocating the gas meter, relocating some large electrical conduit interfering with the elevator shaft and moving some large water pipes. Demolition activity for the new elevator is complete (except where it will exit the roof) and the “pit” on the first floor is being excavated. Because the contractors are unable to get heavy equipment into that confined space, the digging is being done by hand. Some large, heavy steel beams were moved into place by hand to shore up the floors above. Once the digging is complete, concrete footings will be poured to support the weight of the shaft structure and four long steel columns will be installed to hold the elevator car and equipment. Demolition work is also completed in the Kids Center area, and wall framing has begun there and in the classrooms and new WEE office. The feel of the space along the Saint Clair side is significantly enhanced by the wider hallway. Sometimes, renovation surprises are good! We discovered that a brick chimney passes up through the Kids Center, and the architects are looking at ways to incorporate that structure into the plan. |
| There has also been some important outside work completed. The new 8” waterline that supplies the fire sprinkler system has been installed. That big pipe terminates in a closet in the Fellowship Hall and will have a manifold of smaller pipes installed to supply various parts of the new sprinkler system. The Saint Clair parking lot will be used by the contractors some during the Phase II construction, so it will remain in a “patched” state until near the end of the project. Each week we get closer to the time this renovated facility will begin serving our church and community. Thank you to the people of FBC for your continued support and generosity to GENERATIONS. Mike Kirk Trustee |
