Construction Update - Rector's Rambling for September 2, 2019

We have made it to September of 2019, and the end of our construction project is in the homestretch.  I have been told that as of this writing, the project should be done by the end of this month.

First, let me share that I share your frustration in how long this project is taking.  As I have mentioned, when we packed up the old office building in January of 2018 to begin the project, we were told the entire thing, ministry center and undercroft, should be done by September.  I assumed they meant 2018.

Now here it is September of 2019.  But each month brought a different delay; unable to get steel support beam, changes by the permit department, delays in getting skilled tradesman because of the over abundance of work in the area.  A few delays were due to changes on our part, mostly decisions on ways to save money that meant plans had to be tweaked and workers rescheduled.  And at other times, as the demolition work began, hidden problems with the building were exposed and had to be repaired before we could move forward as planned.

As I sit here and write, the construction crew is busy at work in the undercroft mudding the drywall.  Another team of workers is finishing off the awning for the ministry center (delayed due to a change of specs to save money), and landscaping work around the new building is in its finishing stages.

The other frustration has been chasing down subcontractors to repair things that were not installed correctly like the fire door between ministry center and chapel, and having to repair other problems such as the leaking flue to the new fireplace, causing water to enter the building on the first floor library  rug and into the ministry center basement.

Thank you for your patience.  It will be worth the inconvenience as we come out on the other side of this work.