Notes from the Renovation Newsroom Notes from the Renovation Newsroom
March 26, 2008
The outline of the new Welcome Center is clearly visible since the foundation has been poured. In addition, as noted on the front page of this website, the interior route between cathedral and Jewett House has been closed off . The interior ramp that will replace the old exterior handicapped access to the cathedral is already partly constructed, and this closure allows that job to be completed. In addition, the interior stairs at the beginning of the office area will be turned into an office for Rosie Banta, our Financial Secretary. This transformation is almost impossible to explain – come take a look!
March 16, 2008
Despite some rather crummy weather, we have managed to make good progress on the crypt renovation and the Welcome Center.
The crypt now has the drywall up, so we can really see the rooms. We can stand in the new shower stalls see the closet for the stacked washer/dryer. With very little imagination, we can visualize the choir practicing in their new space. We can see the Youth Room and imagine it full of kids. Taping begins on the drywall this week. By the end of next week, we should see paint on those walls.
The Welcome Center construction has kicked into high gear. If you have been around the cathedral lately, you are aware that cathedral staff has largely been relocated to temporary quarters out of the eye of the storm. Susan and Margaret are in the Conference Center. Father John Hay has moved upstairs. Rosie has moved into the library. The bookshop is open only on weekends during this period. Dean Ellis and Michelle Klippert can still be found in their original offices. We expect people to remain in temporary quarters for the next month or so. Should you need to track down one of the office staff, please check the temporary office directory sign at the reception desk (which has also been moved!!) in the hallway in Jewett House. Then follow the arrows to your destination.
Important note: After Easter it will become necessary to temporarily close the internal connection between the Cathedral and Jewett House. In order to get from the Cathedral to Jewett House for coffee and Sunday School, we will need to exit the Cathedral by either the south transept or the west entrance and walk up 12th Avenue to the Jewett House entrance.
February 22, 2008
Despite the cold wintry weather, our building program is well and truly underway at the cathedral. New walls are up in the crypt defining the spaces for choir, youth and a new assembly room. On the main level, the stone facing on outside of the office area has been ripped off as we prepare to add a new Welcome Center to the front of Jewett House.
You will probably notice signs saying things like “closed due to construction”, “no entry”, “Please go around”, “New Office Entrance”. And so on! It will become increasingly important to read and inwardly digest these signs.
As the office area has turned into a construction zone, the office entrance has been temporarily closed. Entrance to the cathedral offices is now gained through either the south doors of Jewett House or through the kitchen. Interior walls are being torn down as well as exterior ones. The reception area will be in the eye of this little storm as we realign spaces.
The most important part of a cathedral job description right now is to flexibility – you just never know what tomorrow may bring! Some of the cathedral staff will be moving to temporary quarters to escape the worst of the construction mayhem. Cathedral secretary Susan Miller will soon move to the conference center. The reception desk is being relocated to the north end of the corridor outside the Great Hall (volunteers take note). The Rev. Margaret Fisher will likely be found in the library. Finance secretary Rosie Banta hasn’t yet decided where she will land, so ask for assistance. Since she lost her window, she is contemplating painting a sun and flowers on the plywood covering what used to be her window. If that doesn’t work, she’ll try something else! Dean Ellis, Fr. John Hay and the Cathedral Bookshop have no plans to move at this point.
Please keep these wonderful people in your prayers as they deal with the vicissitudes of remodeling while trying to be productive and keep the cathedral wheels turning.
In the meantime, if you want a tour of the construction zones, Peggy Johnson, will be offering them after each of the worship services on Sunday, February 24. She then will beat it out of town for a couple of weeks while the dust and excitement of remodeling swirls on around the cathedral premises.
Tune in here for further updates as we move toward our goal. We give thanks that we will have a building that is more usable for ministries, such as Youth and Music, and one that is more welcoming, both for our members and for those who are not yet here.
December 20, 2007
If you’ve been around the cathedral lately, you’ll have noticed that things are happening. A couple of guys named Dan (Really – they both are named Dan. I guess it’s a company requirement.) have been making an impact around the building. They are with Walker Construction and will be making more of an impact as the months proceed. I encourage you to go up and thank them for their work in this less than stellar weather. They are quite wonderful cheery folks, determined to make this remodel as painless for us as possible.
The ramp that you see outside the south transept is a temporary device to provide handicap access into the cathedral to replace the old handicap entrance near the Jewett House office entrance, which will be closed off as soon as the ramp is completed. I’ve noticed that the snowy weather has put something of a crimp in Walker’s plans to get this finished off ASAP. However, at some point, you’ll arrive and see the finished ramp. Meanwhile, the construction crew is working inside.
Note: This may be stating the obvious, but once the office entrance is closed, it will really be closed. We will need to enter Jewett House via another entry. The three door entrance next to the circular drive will be open, as will the kitchen door.
And then there’s the crypt: If you were to venture into the crypt (I don’t advise it without a hardhat), you would encounter more light and air than that place has seen in many a year. There is serious demolition going on down there. Walls are down and flooring is being pulled up. I have provided a photo of that area for your edification.
The work will go on over the Christmas holidays, so we all may come back to some surprises. We’ll just have to see. In the meantime, have a wonderful Christmas!
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