How much will this project cost?
Where are the staff offices located?
Will Early Encounters have their own kitchen?
Who is the architect?
How long will it take us to get into the new building?
Who’s on the building committee?
Are there enough Sunday School rooms?
Where will the new building go? I thought I heard it was going to go on the footprint of our current buildings.
Will this include any renovations to the sanctuary?
Will we continue to share space with Early Encounters?
Will the nursery be easier to find and will security be better?
Will preteens have their own area or will they be with the elementary kids?
Will the Upper Rooms move to the new building or will it be redesigned?
How many tables/people can accommodated for Wednesday night meals?
Will the new building allow for growth or just meet our current space needs?
How much will this project cost?
The projected cost, including construction, demolition, fixtures, and architecture fees is $10 million. This figure does not include parking lots.
Where are the staff offices located?
The staff offices are located on the first floor across a hallway from the sanctuary. The new plan also calls for a reception area in the atrium that will be staffed Monday – Friday and on Sunday mornings.
Will Early Encounters have their own kitchen?
No. But, the plan does make sharing the kitchen easier. First, the kitchen will be larger, creating space for our needs and their needs. Also, we’ve planned a hallway directly from the kitchen to the Early Encounters area so when groups have events in the Multi-Purpose room during the week, we can easily feed the children in their classrooms without disturbing the event.
In 2006, the church hired Albert and Associates of Hattiesburg as our architect. We are working directly with Larry Albert and Sarah Newton. You can visit their website at www.albertassociates.com.
How long will it take us to get into the new building?
Our Prepare the Way capital campaign will culminate with commitment Sunday on April 27. After all the gifts and pledges are counted, the Building Committee will meet to consider what we’ve raised against what we’ll have to borrow to complete the project. We will have one final vote of the Church Conference, and then set our architects free to complete the engineering work. We project breaking ground in early 2009 with completion mid-late 2010.
Who’s on the building committee?
Warren Hood (Chair)
Terry Bryant
Ruth Ann Tanner
Melanie Storey
Betsy Walsh
David Parsons
C.D. (Red) Galey
Lois Gullette
Tom Bradley
Debbie Graham (Lay Leader)
Are there enough Sunday School rooms?
Currently we have 14 adult Sunday School classes. We have dedicated space for at least 15 classes, not counting space in the Multi-Purpose room.
The first concept drawn by the architect involved tearing down our current Fellowship Hall, Children’s area, and educational building and rebuilding on the exact footprint. At one of the early presentations to the congregation, someone suggested we go east instead of south. The building committee took that suggestion to the architects and they agreed that this was a better idea! So, the building will stretch from 25th Avenue to 24th Avenue along the Hardy Street side of the property.
Will this include any renovations to the sanctuary?
There are no planned renovations to the Sanctuary space in this project. However, the trustees are currently working on lighting and sound upgrades to the sanctuary.
Will we continue to share space with Early Encounters?
Yes. But, we will gain additional nursery space that will be reserved for Parkway Heights’ use during the week and Sundays.
Will the nursery be easier to find and will security be better?
Absolutely. The preschool/nursery area will be to the right (east) of the atrium. There will be a secure entrance from the atrium and another secure entrance from the parking lot. All of our preschool children will be together in one area that will be inviting and secure.
Will preteens have their own area or will they be with the elementary kids?
Pre-teens will have their own area, though it will be in the same area as our elementary children.
Will the Upper Rooms move to the new building or will it be redesigned?
That will be up to our children’s ministry. The Upper Rooms theme has served us well for several years, but sometimes change is a good thing!
How many tables/people can accommodated for Wednesday night meals?
The Multi-Purpose room will accommodate 400 people at tables or 600 people in chairs for a program.
Will the new building allow for growth or just meet our current space needs
The new building will accommodate all we are doing now, but allow space for future growth in our children’s area and for adult discipleship needs.