On April 10, our congregation voted to proceed with a  final phase to our capital campaign, based on its approval of the building design you can access by clicking here. Our initial pricing of this design, which was undertaken as Russia was invading Ukraine, exceeded our budget, and the expectations of both our architect and contractor. We decided to wait and price the design again, with just a few very minor modifications aimed at saving money. This week, we were thrilled to receive a pricing close to our budget. On Sunday, July 31, 2022, your board of trustees voted to proceed immediately with a kitchen renovation and to instruct the architect to complete final construction drawings as soon as possible. 

The complete kitchen renovation will begin literally this week and next, with the final selection of materials. Once those materials are ordered and received, our contractor is poised to begin the remodel process. It is our hope to have a complete kitchen by September, to celebrate both the start of the new church year and our regained momentum for this project.  The kitchen renovation has been thoughtfully funded by the family of Jan Bourke, in her memory. Our dearly beloved member was renowned for her warmth and hospitality, and many of us have memories of her in our church kitchen and sharing her amazing Texas chili and brisket. It feels so energizing to begin our actual construction in honor of her welcoming ways. 

The pandemic really took a toll on our on our ability to move this project forward as quickly as we desired. And we are so grateful to be able to finally move forward in definitive ways, where everyone can see the sawdust! While the kitchen work begins, our architect will complete our final construction drawings, a process he thinks will take about a month. Then our contractor will develop the “Guaranteed Maximum Price” for construction that will allow him to contract his subcontractors, develop a final schedule, and begin digging.     

We do still need to raise some additional money as a part of the final phase of our capital campaign, but your board’s vote yesterday reflects their very high degree of confidence in our ability to close this final gap. If you’d like to consider an gift to help make this possible, and/or a gift to honor a loved one with a room or space dedication, you can let us know your thoughts here.  We will also have individual stewards reaching out to members in August. These stewards will be both asking about your pledging intentions related to the regular church operating budget for this fiscal year, as well as any additional pledge you might be able to make related to the capital campaign. 

Look for a congregational meeting to be called in early September to review the final construction documents and timetables, and for the approval of a budget for our current fiscal year. 

Any questions? Don’t hesitate to let us know at board@nuuc.org

Your NUUC Board of Trustees