This page gives a brief history of the nine-year effort to define, design and build a new Fellowship Center for Yorkminster Presbyterian Church.
|
In 1997, a long-range plan for our church was developed and approved by the Session. It called for a Family Life Center to be built by 2005. Shortly after adoption of the plan, an architect was hired, a Campus Improvements Committee was formed and planning began. [The main text of the 1997 Long Range Plan, "Envisioning Yorkminster 2007," (without appendices) is available for download (PDF, 268 KB)] The initial investigation was how to restructure and reuse the existing, 25-year old (plus) facility. It was quickly realized that the most cost-effective remedy was to replace the facility rather than bring it up to code. A second option, of building a new facility, was examined. County drainage requirements indicated a settlement basin would be required due to the location of the church campus in the Newport News Harwoods Mill Reservoir watershed. Building footprint, parking and drainage requirements would result in loss of green-space on the (then) 6 acre campus; the need for additional land was made obvious. A series of land purchases in 1999, 2002 and 2003 resulted in a greatly expanded campus, with room for future facilities beyond the Fellowship Center presently envisioned. A survey of officers and staff in 1999 indicated the following prioritized list of requirements for our capital improvement effort:
It was recognized that the fellowship space could double as an auditorium, an interim sanctuary, and an indoor recreation space for future programs. Additional 'nice-to-have' features include:
To refine these goals, the Session created a number of subcommittees, including:
By the middle of 2004, a 33,100 sq. ft. two-story facility was planned and a preliminary design for the building was prepared. At the same time, a site improvements plan for the associated parking, drainage, lighting, and utilities was developed. Following selection of a general contractor, O. K. James Construction, in fall of 2004, we discovered the cost of construction of this facility and associated site improvements exceeded our budget. This has required substantial reduction in the scope of the project. Beginning in 2005, a new design was begun with the help of the architectural firm of Wm. Henry Harris & Associates. The facility will be approximately 14,000 sq. ft. and will be located on a separate parcel of land which will be formed by relocation of the north property line. The following list of requirements has been approved:
The preliminary building design was shown to the Session on July 11, 2005. The floor plan is available (PDF, JPEG) as is a cut-away view (JPEG, 108 KB). This design meets almost all of the requirements (it is a bit larger than desired, and the conference room may not seat 40 people at a single table); we will resolve these issues in the near future. An informational meeting was held on July 31, 2005 in which the plans for the site and building were presented as well as plans for financing the project. These are available for download at the Documents section on the main page. A meeting of the congregation on August 7, 2005 decided overwhelmingly to allow borrowing up to $ 3.1 million to pay for construction of the new Fellowship Center. At the October 10, 2005 stated meeting, the Session approved entering into a construction contract with O.K. James Construction, Inc. for the Fellowship Center. On October 31, 2005, we received final approval from York County to begin site work for the project. On November 7, 2005, we signed a $ 2.9 million contract with O. K. James Construction, Inc. to build the Fellowship Center. On November 13, 2005, ground was broken on the new project. On December 7, 2005, site work began. On March 2, 2006, the slab was poured. On March 6, 2006, the first cinder block wall was started. On March 27, 2006, the first bricks were laid. On March 29, 2006, the first roof panel was installed. By June 29, 2006, the building structure and exterior was mostly complete; the utilities had all be run to the building (gas, sewer, electricity); the 24" water main along 17 was tapped to provide the new site with a 12" pipe. In July, the tile floors were installed and the ceiling tile gridwork was installed. Photos of the interior on July 27 are here. On August 13, 2006, the new driveway was opened and the old one was closed. The new driveway was paved four days later after one intervening Sunday of driving on gravel. On September 10, 2006, the cornerstone was laid. The sports flooring was installed on September 22, 2006. On October 6, 2006, the building was declared "substantially complete" and a list of items to be finished, or "punch list," was drawn up. The contractor has 30 days to complete these items. Meanwhile, the County will be asked to inspect the building and issue a tempoary occupancy permit; this is temporary because the retention pond will not receive the necessary aquatic grass plantings until the spring. On November 7, 2006, a conditional Certificate of Occupancy was received, and 56 tables were delivered. On November 12, 2006, the building was used for the first time by a church group: Christmas play practice and Vivaldi's Gloria rehearsal. On December 14, 2006, the building was used in worship for the 10:45 service, in which Vivaldi's Gloria was featured by the combined choirs of Yorkminster. On January 20, 2007, the building was dedicated with a fellowship dinner. |
