This edition of Construction News contains the following articles: "Good News! I Mean, Great News!", "What's Next?? - Music Room and Bathrooms", "More Work in Children's Wing Scheduled for Christmas Break", and "New Building Construction Schedule - April 2 Completion?".

Good News!  I Mean Great News!!

During this Holiday season, we celebrate the Good News of Christ’s birth!!  Now we have even more reason to celebrate!!

We expect to be in the renovated (and fire damage repaired) Sanctuary in time for Covenant’s Christmas Eve services.  Turner-Universal has just a couple of items to complete and should have them done this coming week.  In addition, the following tasks will be completed in time for services on December 24:

1. The re-covered and refinished pews and choir chairs will be delivered on Monday, December 15.  Installation should be completed by Wednesday.
2. The acoustical panels on the side walls will be installed.
3. Installation of the new audio/visual system began last week.
4. The new grand piano will be delivered and installed.
5. The Sanctuary furniture that has been in storage at Covenant since last May will be reinstalled under the direction of Dick Felix.

Note that several things will be completed later:

1. The carpet in the narthex will probably not be installed until sometime in January.
2. Because organs and dust do not get along together, the organ will not be installed until the remaining adjacent construction (see music room below) has been completed.  We’ll just have to get by with our grand piano until then.  I don’t think either Bryan or Adriana will complain about the missing organ!

What’s Next?? – Music Room and Bathrooms

The renovation of the former administrative offices into the Music area and the remodeling of the bathrooms are on schedule to be completed by mid-January.  Carpeting of the Narthex will also be completed at this time, provided insurance issues have been resolved by then.

As soon as the Music area and bathrooms have been opened up, the Fellowship Hall will be turned over to Turner-Universal for renovation.  This work is expected to take about 6-8 weeks.  

More Work in Children’s Wing Scheduled for Christmas Break

The plans are complete and the contracts signed for the necessary work that the Fire Marshall requires in the Children’s Wing.  This includes a new sprinkler system, new air vents, and modification of the doors in all classrooms.  This work will be done during Christmas break so that the preschool does not lose any class time.

New Building Construction Schedule – April 2 (?) Completion

While all this other work is going on, the construction crews are also busy with the new building. 

Only a couple of tasks need to be completed in order for the workers to work on the inside without regard to weather conditions.  Those should be completed within the next week or so.

In addition, the outside brickwork is continuing, weather permitting, and it’s starting to look like a finished building rather than a bunch of concrete walls!   The entryway from the Adult Education wing to the new building now has definition – walls (cement block right now) and floor.

Realizing that construction delays can occur, Turner has said that they expect to turn the new building over to us around the middle of March.  Our interiors committee projects that they will need about two weeks to install equipment and furniture in the new Administrative area, Adult Classrooms, and the Youth Center.  We are hoping that we will be “open for business” in the new building on April 2, but don’t hold us to that!!

Merry Christmas from the Building Committee!!