It’s been a busy week for the construction team. Several large items have been accomplished:

As the picture shows, the final dormer was added to the admin building (Zone B). 

Perhaps most significantly, the construction team elected to change course on digging for the elevator pit (Zone C).  Originally, they had planned to wait approximately a month for a testing.  Due to the prolonged time, the company began digging in the area to get a better idea of the amount of rock involved. As a result, a large amount of excavation has been completed!

Demolition work in the basement and long hallway from chapel to Spitzer (Zone D) is now complete. That area is completely blocked off and inaccessible. The bathrooms adjacent to the Spitzer Building foyer are still available.

This past week has seen majority of progress in Zone B (admin area/church office).  Most notably is the infil with concrete of the stairwell.  The picture shows the new large meeting area that has been created in the open area of the 2nd floor.  We envision this area as a great meeting spot for medium to larger committee/staff meetings.  The space will also include a coffee bar as well as a large tv facilitate meetings.

All the framing in the rest of Zone B is almost complete.  Next week we hope to have the final dormer completed on the 2nd floor.  Electrical work will be the next step and then on to sheetrock.

In Zone C (the elevator pit), Bur-Wil has elected to do some test digging to see the extent of the granite that is presently slowing down construction. They have a plan to grind down the granite if it looks to be a large area.  

In Zone D (the area from the Chapel to the Spitzer Building), they are continuing work and might have the hallway blocked off as soon as this week.

The contractor has began its infil on the 2nd floor of the admin area.  The picture reflects the area where the stairs originally were located.  This provides much more space on the 2nd floor where a conference room is planned.

As previously discussed, the location of the elevator is on hold until a contractor can drill in the area to find the depth and size of the rock needed for removal.  Since this area is presently on hold, the contractor plans to move earlier than planned to Zone D – defined as the area from the Sanctuary to Spitzer building.  

The hallway from the Chapel to the Spitzer lobby is planned to undergo construction shortly.  Hence, it will not be accessible in the near future.  The bathrooms at the end of the hallway, just before the lobby, are still accessible.

The boulders found during excavation for the new elevator must be removed carefully. Testing for the correct procedure is delayed about a month while coordinating everyone who needs to be involved in the process. This, however, allows BurWil to work more on the admin area and hallway between the Chapel and Spitzer Building!

Our wonderful facilities update team has been hard at work looking at doors and hardware plans for the admin area in addition to the carpets, flooring, and wall colors they selected.

New: BurWil is starting to work on the enclosed walkway between the admin area and Barron Hall.

Excavation for the new elevator began this week!  The contractor began digging between the Admin building and the Sanctuary, which uncovered several large boulders.  Structural engineers are scheduled to help develop a plan to deal with them. 

The wall of the columbarium (with the window) has been removed as well.  Part of the scope of the project includes doubling the columbarium niche count and moving the window to an adjacent wall. If you would like to visit the columbarium, please contact the church office. Afternoons are better when the construction crews have left.

The architect is now officially working with church representatives on flooring and colors for the new admin area.  It is exciting to see the progress as we move forward!  

We are excited about the progress!

Happy New Year!

Construction is moving forward!  The “sunroom” connector between the Admin building and the Sanctuary has been removed.  This is the future location of the elevator and new stairwell to the second floor of the administrative offices.

In addition, they have started framing the offices on both floors of the administrative building.  The second floor will look significantly different. Much more open. The Fowler Conference Room, which is currently being framed to create 3 office spaces, will get a new home during construction.

Our contractor has verified that the Sanctuary will be usable until at least Easter.  After Easter they will make updates to the Chancel and choir area, which we hope will move quickly.  Both services will be in Barron Hall during that time.

We are working hard to prepare for Christmas.  Please excuse our mess while we attempt to showcase the beauty of this church amidst construction.  We are aware that parking will be an issue, particularly for Christmas and Easter.  It is on our scope to address.

Merry Christmas!

The primary emphasis this past week has been on demolition with particular attention to the administration office area and the basement under the Sanctuary.  All of the floors and ceiling tiles have been removed exposing the bones of the building.  Perhaps the most obvious demolition is the sunroom, in which the wall facing Keowee has been removed.  The purpose is to begin preparation for the most difficult part of the construction, the addition of an elevator in that space.  Everyday the crew makes significant headway.

Many are well aware that parking is limited with the fencing taking spaces from the administrative side of the building.  Access to the Sanctuary and Spitzer are still available via Keowee side.  The tower doors into the Sanctuary are accessible, as are the double doors facing Keowee in the SHEEP foyer.

Restrooms are still accessible during Sunday worship.  The basement bathrooms should remain available until further notice.  Additionally, the bathrooms at the end of the long hallway leading to Spitzer are to remain open. Further, the long hallway is accessible until approximately post-Easter timeframe.  The building is navigable via the long hallway through to the Sanctuary…the basement under the Sanctuary, other than the bathrooms, are not accessible.  Travel to the Kitchen and/or Barron Hall will require outside access via the parking lot.