The JVMT shared a meeting last week with Troy and David from Community Ventures, to get an update on the plans for the impending construction. During that meeting, Troy shared with the JVMT the proposed site plan for what the property will look like during construction. An image of that site plan is shown below this article.
This is not the final plan, and the JVMT has already requested that the construction company (Domus) move the edge of their construction site off of the church’s main entrance sidewalk. We want to appear as open as possible during construction, and having on un-obstructed entrance will help in that.
To the same end – appearing as open as possible when more than half our property is a construction site – the JVMT has also begun talking about two upgrades for the front of the Sanctuary.
The glass doors are still to be completed as a part of the Sanctuary renovation. The plans were approved with the other plans as part of one building permit. SEAC has been frustrated by its inability to get Jim Sullivan, our contractor, to talk with us about this next step. But we haven’t given up.
Also, we have spoken about lighting the façade of the church. There will be lighting as part of the redesign of the courtyard after the new building has been finished. But we should be able to get light that “washes” the front façade. It will add light in what is too dark a space already, and will be made more so by the construction next door. It will also “highlight” the church and how it is setback from the street, a rare asset in a neighborhood where most buildings come right up to the sidewalk. (It is in fact our setback that is the most distinctive design aspect of the Sanctuary building).
JVMT believes that those two, the glass doors and the lit façade, will make our church look more open and welcoming despite the construction. And on some level, the construction is a good sign – we are a church that does big projects to make a difference.
The JVMT is planning a few upcoming meetings (online and in-person) to give some additional explanation of the plans and what to expect in the next few months, as well as to answer questions.
It should also be noted, that all parking will be going away once construction begins. Earlier in the planning process, there was a group of volunteers who were working on possible parking alternatives. However, no concrete parking alternatives have been found so far. Now is the time to pick this project back up, if anyone is interested. If you would like to be involved in this research, please let Michael or Devan know (we can point you to a few leads).
