Building Renovation

Building Renovation Project

Construction has begun ...

On Sunday, June 17, parishioners from St. Mark's broke ground for our renovation project, Opening the Way. Gerry Whelan and Sandy Esmond, Co-wardens, Mark McCarron, Vestry, Steve Oberlander and Janet Pineault, Building Renovation Committee, Jeff Shaw, Architect, Jeffrey Christian, Vestry, Amy VanDell and Russ Montal, Capital Appeal Committee, participated in the brief ceremony following the worship service. To date, parishioners have committed more than $355,000 to this project.

Following asbestos removal on July 3, workers began preparing the worship space by moving existing furnishings and covering the organ screen. Exterior demolition began on July 9. Throughout construction, we will post updates on our progress.

On July 12, the front part of the porte cochere was removed. The front arch, seen standing in the adjacent photos, will be re-used to support the roof closer to the building. By July 13, all the beams and supports had been removed (bottom left).

On July 16, interior demolition began in earnest while the exterior demolition was being completed. Stairways, ceilings, and some walls have been removed, including the front stairs into the church. The picture on the right shows the new narthex (previously the foyer and the vestibule), facing from the Common Room toward the church. The picture below it looks into the former Rector's study, which will become the church office.

Below, the picture shows the framing for the floor on the music platform, and the beginning outline for the chancel platform.

On the lower level (accessible only through two outside doors), the facelift in the kitchen has begun (below left). Cupboards and drawers will be refaced, and new appliances and new countertops will be installed. The new entrance to the undercroft (from the stairway through the atrium) is shown below right.

On June 23, the crew moved into the atrium area to excavate for the new stairwell. The backhoe was lifted into (and out of) the atrium by crane, and dirt was hauled out one load at a time. A compressor was lowered in to assist with jackhammering out the window wells (Picture at left). The millstone was also removed.

Later in the week, the backhoe was excavating the foundation for the new vestibule and new piers for the scaled-back porte-cochere (left-center picture). Meanwhile, workmen were digging out the foundation for a new beam in the undercroft (lower left). On the upper level, another crew finished removing the walls around the atrium (lower right).

The church office will remain open throughout construction; access to the construction area is limited for safety's sake. Please enter through the side door on the right of the building.

Over the last few weeks, we have seen a lot of changes; something is new every day. The following pictures give you a summary of the work in September. The scaffolding is in place in the sanctuary, in preparation for the installation of the skylight, and the first beam has been installed. The new platform for the font is also in place.

There have also been a lot of changes with the narthex and the atrium: the stairwells have been closed in, the roof and the skylights are in place, and doors have been cut into the hallways downstairs.

The rest of the porte-cochere roof was removed, leaving the new "face" of the church.

As the weather reminds us that fall is coming once again, we continue to make progress on our renovation project. The most dramatic changes are evident in three areas: the entrance, the atrium, and the sanctuary.

Above and to the left, the roof over the new entrance is taking shape. Below, the window in the relocated parish office looks out into the new narthex.

From the narthex, we look into the enclosed atrium in the pictures below. The cement has been poured in the floor, and four doors cut to allow access into the lower level. The stairway into the atrium will have steps going in two directions: toward the undercroft and into the hall.

The view below looks into the atrium from the Common Room. The new glass wall will have four panels. To the right is the new roof over the atrium, which has four skylights.

These final pictures show the skylights in the sanctuary and the emergency exit door.

Halfway through November, our project is nearing completion. Below you see the new entrance and the stairway to the lower level, through the atrium. Glass and railings will be installed in the next few days.

Turning right at the bottom of the stairs brings you directly in the undercroft. The ceiling and the wall behind the ladder have been painted.

Below left is a picture of the sanctuary--in the dark light of a rainy day. The carpet has been installed, the organ console rebuilt on a portable dolly, and the floors (shown below left, on a sunny day) are finished.

A number of other areas are nearing completion, including the narthex, the atrium, the new robing room, and the choir room.

December 10 .....

The new atrium stairs provide easy access between

the upper and lower levels of the building. At the

top of the stairs, the new narthex opens into the

sanctuary on the right and the Common Room on

the left. At the bottom, we now have direct access

into the undercroft. Below, workmen finish laying the new tile.

The kitchen cabinets, flooring, sinks, and countertops have been installed. When the cabinets have been finished, the rest of the appliances will be installed and the kitchen will be open for service once again.

Pictures of the Service of Dedication are included in the January Newsletter.

Opening the Way

For more than 20 years, parishioners at St. Mark’s have expressed desire to improve our building. Beginning more than 5 years ago, many parishioners worked together to develop a vision which could be used to open the way to improving our physical and spiritual environment now and in the future.

In January, 2004, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church adopted our Vision Statement to guide our work over the next decade. This statement included a goal--“St. Mark’s will be the parish that actively includes every parishioner in worship and in intentional ministry with others”—and a vivid description of how our parish could fully grow into this vision.

Once the vision was adopted, the Vestry began to look at the challenges our building presents and tasked a separate group to explore how we might reconfigure our space to be more welcoming and inviting. The Building Renovation Committee began its work in 2005, interviewing the parish and groups who use the building, sifting and sorting through survey responses from over 100 people. The committee summarized its findings in a report entitled “The Vision for the Building,” which was endorsed by the Annual Meeting in January, 2006. During the past year, we have been working with Jeff Shaw and Brett Donham, Donham and Sweeney Architects, to prepare the following design for our proposed renovation.

The Plan …

Our vision for the building includes the following:

“People will be enthusiastically worshipping, singing and serving together”

Reconfigure the worship space for better visibility, improved traffic flow, and more flexible furniture arrangements to accommodate musical groups, pageant performances and alternative worship services and events

Evaluate and update lighting

Update landscaping

“Our parishioners enjoy their participation in the church community”

Expand the space for reception area on the upper level

Renovate the kitchen area to accommodate, prepare and serve meals for 20-30 people and cater to events for 100-125 people.

“We will have regular retreats for people in the parish - We will be a place where people can discover and develop their passion for ministry.”

Improve and increase the number of comfortable meeting areas on both levels.

Improve rehearsal and storage space for all ministry groups.

“Visitors and newcomers will be actively invited into the life of the church.”

Enlarge and enhance the main entrance to the church.

Reconfigure traffic flow between upper and lower levels.

Relocate church office to the front of the building.