Good Shepherd Parish

New Building Project

Question and Answer Format

Who are the members of Good Shepherd Parish Restoration and Rebuilding Committee?

Deacon Ed Wilkerson, Rita Gallagher, Jim Gribbins, Tim Henning (architect), Mark Logel, Jeff Pate, Tom Peake, Ron Pohl, Mark Schuler, Tom Schuler, Bryon Swader, Judy VanHoosier, Marilyn Wassmer, and Pat Will are members of the committee. Each member of the committee brings a unique perspective to the project. All meetings are open to parishioners and scheduled meetings are listed in the weekly bulletin. Minutes from every meeting are on record and are available upon request.

How much has been spent on refurbishing the school and what did it cost Good Shepherd Parish?

As with any ‘rebuilding’ project there were a number of opportunities to update the building infrastructure and space utilization. These ‘value adds’ included the elimination of the aging boiler system, a new teachers workroom and a larger student development classroom. Totals dollars spent for value adds was $64,000.

Additional major improvements covered by our insurance policy included the abatement of all remaining asbestos, new cafeteria windows, updated boys restroom, replacement of 22 roof top HVAC units, updated school administration area and classroom dry erase boards.

Do our teachers have everything they need to teach their students?

The teachers have all of the necessary equipment and supplies on hand to facilitate the instruction of their students. All computers will be in operation when the students return after the summer break.

What work remains on the school restoration effort?

The restoration of the kitchen is the primary effort remaining. It is still on schedule to be available for the summer social that begins June 21. A remodeled school entrance has been started with the remaining work given to local contractors to provide cost estimates. A portion of this will be covered by insurance but construction will not begin until after our summer social.

Is the insurance company okay with using the insurance money to build something that wasn’t destroyed by the fire?

Yes. As long as the proceeds are used to reconstruct a building, they understand that the insured may not want to rebuild the exact structure that was destroyed.

What will be included in this building project?

There are two buildings being proposed, the Parish Administration Center (PAC) and the Parish Hall. A decision was made early on to build two facilities instead of one. The primary reason is to segregate adults from students during the school day. The addition of the Parish Hall is designed to keep students in a secure and protective environment behind security/fire doors. The PAC is designed for easy access for parishioners to discuss issues and concerns with parish leaders in a comfortable and confidential environment. Another decision was to not attempt to add the PAC onto the existing church but to make it a separate building so as to not take away from the church’s unique architecture. If financial pledges to the capital campaign are not sufficient to build both buildings then a decision will need to be made on how to move forward.

Will the Parish Hall be used as an additional gym?

No. The Parish Hall is not being designed for use as an additional gym. However, there have been discussions on potentially allowing some non-ball activities such as wrestling, aerobics, cheerleading and dance practice to be held there if the schedule allows.

Why do we need additional parish office space?

The church was designed with only three administrative areas. There are currently five staff members sharing that space. The church’s second floor media room has been converted to temporarily house the director of worship. Expansion of Good Shepherd’s ministries requires the respective additional ministry spaces. Options to provide for additional spaces for a religious education director, director of worship, health ministry, and a space for our deacons to meet with parishioners were already being considered prior to the school fire incident. A large meeting room is also included in the plans.

What will the current church offices be used for after the Parish Administrative Center is constructed?

There are a number of activities that can be held in the current spaces. Sunday preschool, children’s liturgy, religious education program (K-8) and storage of religious education materials are just a few that have been identified so far.

Does the Parish Council support the building committee's plan?

Yes. The Parish Council has been updated on several occasions and had opportunities for input. The council has given its blessing to continue to move forward with the building project making sure to include as many needs of the parish as possible.

What parishioners actually benefit from this proposed building project?

All parishioners will benefit from the additional spaces, i.e., areas for the ministries previously identified, additional meeting rooms, adult and youth activities area, stage and seating space to eliminate school performances from being held in the church and much needed storage areas. Students will begin utilizing the bingo/cafeteria space in the new Parish Hall for their daily lunch periods served out of the existing kitchen facility. This will free up the current cafeteria to be scheduled for use by non-student groups during the school day and can be scheduled for either youth or adult groups in the evenings.

What is the status of these new building facilities?

The interior and exterior design of the PAC has been completed. The site survey has been completed and has validated that the building can be located at the planned southwest corner of our property. Our architect is currently waiting for soil sample testing results. The initial meeting with the Diocesan Building Commission (DBC) in April went well. We are currently on their June agenda where we will present additional drawings.

We are in the process of finalizing the layout of spaces for the Parish Hall that includes the following: 200 plus cafeteria/bingo seating area, elevated stage, bingo office storage and concession areas, school principal’s office, youth area, and storage areas. We are also discussing the inclusion of, as an alternate bid, space for future pre-school and/or pre-kindergarten classrooms. Currently, we anticipate the initial review of the Parish Hall by the DBC at their July or August meeting.

What is the projected start date for any new building construction?

Construction on either building cannot begin until the capital campaign is well underway and we have a good understanding of what the level of support from parishioners will be for this project. If the capital campaign is successful, then we believe that we are on schedule to submit the PAC out for bid to local contractors by late August or early September. Based on our progress of the Parish Hall design and a successful capital campaign we may be in a position to bid both buildings simultaneously which we believe will be a cost effective way to proceed.

Is there a projected cost for both of these buildings?

It will still be some time before we will know the total cost of the project. Our best estimate at this time is that it will be in the neighborhood of $3 million. Our insurers have placed a replacement value of a little over $1 million on the bingo hall that was destroyed leaving a $2 million estimated capital campaign goal.

Will school families be required to pledge a specific amount of money

towards the capital campaign?

This is a parish building campaign. School families will be asked to contribute what they are capable of pledging just like every other parishioner will be asked.

Who should I contact if I have additional questions about the building project?

Contact any member of the Restoration and Rebuilding Committee. We welcome all questions and comments as we all strive to do what is best for the future of our Good Shepherd Parish.