Clear Lake Presbyterian Church

The Christian Education Building Project

Frequently Asked Questions

Revised February 27, 2003

You told us you wanted to repair and remodel the existing CE building. What changed your mind?

We tried to make it fit. We met with program staff, work-area elders, and day school directors and board. We heard their program vision and documented their space needs.  We looked at the report of W. Charles Arn, the visioning process led by Peter Pizor, and the congregational survey. We made field trips to other growing churches and looked at their dynamic use of CE space.

We met weekly with our architect for several months who helped us analyze and visualize every conceivable option.  We first looked at moving walls within the current outline of the building: then we looked at filling in the cross garden area. Since the west end is wood frame and the oldest section, we looked at tearing down half the building and building a two-story addition. Finally, we looked at a free-standing addition.

What would we end up with if we just remodeled the CE building?

·        We would not meet our program needs:

• We would lack sufficient classrooms for our current youth and adult classes
• We would still lack sufficient office space for staff and administrative purposes.

·        We would pay a high cost for code compliance:

• An elevator and second stairway would be required in the CE building, or we could not use the upstairs.
• We would no longer be able to use attic for storage.
• We would spend thousands to make the restrooms ADA compliant.

·        Until the construction begins we have no way of knowing about the integrity of the wood frame of the oldest section. We fear is that once the walls are opened, considerable rot and structural weakness will be discovered.

·        The finished product would be too small:

• It would not amaze and delight, but rather disappoint in spite of the large investment.
• It would not provide capacity for program expansion or growth to enable the future we envision for CLPC.
• It would not provide room for innovative children’s Christian education programming.
• It would not provide our visitors a “Front Door” – no good solutions found for campus to be more inviting to visitors.
• The end product would be just a renovated 35-year-old building with a life expectancy of 15 more years.

What are we actually proposing?

A comprehensive campus improvement, including:

>CE Building:  The plan is to design a two-story CE building of approximately 24,000 square feet, which is 9000 square feet more than our current CE building provides.  It would include:

• A “Fellowship Hall” gathering/meeting/reception space
• Sufficient multiuse classrooms for Sunday School and the day school
• Possibly including a much larger nursery
• Provisions for the VISIONS after-school program
• A second floor containing staff offices, administrative space, and additional multi-use classrooms to support future program needs
• A facility that will encourage and permit growth.

>Church Life Center

• We will build out the second floor of the existing Church Life Center (4400 square feet) to create an area of dedicated space for our junior and senior high youth ministries.
• We will remodel the current office area (what used to be the Shalom offices) to provide additional classroom space for the youth and adults.

>Sanctuary Building

• The old office area adjacent to the sanctuary is being converted into an expanded wrap-around narthex to better welcome our guests and enjoy coffee fellowship after our worship services.
• The pastors’ former offices are being converted into a classroom for our children’s worship and dayschool 2 year old class (which had to be discontinued for school year 2002-03 due to space limitations).

>Parking

• We will repave the badly worn out west parking lot (presently asphalt) with concrete.
• We will also pave 60 to 65 new spaces along the north property line.

>Canopy

• Yes, we want to add a porte-cochere (a fancy name for a covered arrival portal) in front of the sanctuary to ease passenger drop-off and pick-up in inclement weather.

What will it cost for all of this?

·        For a new CE building, from $2.5 to $2.8 million 

·        Additional renovations and upgrades of approximately $1.2 million, including:

·        Added expenses to complete the sanctuary project (not covered by insurance)

·        Build out and remodel the second floor of the Church Life Center

·        New parking, covered Sanctuary drop-off, carillon, and landscaping

Total construction needs -- $3.7 to 4.0 million 

How are we going to pay for all this?

·        A capital campaign already initiated at the congregation’s direction will aim to raise over the next three years the full $4 million construction costs plus $1 million additional to eliminate the existing mortgage on the Church Life Center.

·        If needed, we will follow with an additional three-year campaign (2006-09) to cover any possible shortfall in the initial campaign.

·        At the summer, 2003, congregational meeting, the Session will present to the congregation a complete financial plan (based upon the results of the campaign), allowing us to make any design changes we deem to be prudent before proceeding with construction.

What about the day school?

·        The day school will continue in present space for the next school year.

·        The two-year-old class will be re-started in the new space in the sanctuary building in the fall of 2003.

·        The entire day school program will move into the new CE building upon completion in 2004.

What is the Task Force asking?

·        To engage an architect to design a replacement facility for the Christian Education Building to house children’s ministry on the first floor and staff and administrative offices in a portion of the second floor, and

·        To build out the second floor of the Church Life Center and remodel the Shalom Office space for youth and adult ministries.

Is this the final review?

·        No! The task force will prepare a basic floor plans for congregational review and input in late spring, 2003.

·        The task force and session will revise that plan and will then propose a complete design plan and financial plan to the congregation for approval in summer 2003.

What are the actual motions to be voted?

1.  It is moved that the congregation of Clear Lake Presbyterian Church authorize the following:

That the Session be authorized to retain the architectural firm of Ambrose, McEnany and House to develop plans for a new Christian Education Building and to target presentation of the final project design and financial plans for the summer of 2003 for congregational approval;

2.  It is moved that the congregation of Clear Lake Presbyterian Church authorize the following:

That the Session concurrently direct Ambrose, McEnany and House to develop plans for the completion of the second floor of the Church Life Center with the understanding that this construction is to commence after receiving congregational approval at the summer, 2003, meeting.     

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