The interior of the sanctuary and town square is nearly complete. Work inside the sanctuary is now primarily focused on the remaining finish carpentry work. This includes completing the ramp handrails, the communion rail, the two stair rails that lead to the balcony and the divided light doors (grid pattern) for the sanctuary and narthex. Along with this work, some touchup painting will be required. The custom carpet to match the existing town square carpet will arrive later this summer. In the meantime, the floor was painted with a sealer and carpet transition strips were added between the carpet and concrete.
The major work has shifted to the Redeemer exterior for the remainder of the project:
- Rough grading has been largely completed to ensure that site drainage works in concert with the storm basins, downspout tie-ins and sidewalks. The landscaper will finish this work in June.
- Sidewalks and steps have been installed all around the building. This includes:
- a new porch and sidewalk on the west (music wing) side of the building with ADA access,
- a new sidewalk and steps to the side narthex door (handrail to be installed),
- a new front porch step and sidewalk in front of the circle drive with ADA access
- a new front sidewalk that leads from the Maple Road sidewalk to the front door of the church, and
- a new sidewalk on the east side of the building that connects the prayer garden, columbarium, chapel and sanctuary (all with ADA access).
- Finally, a new heated sidewalk was installed at the base of the existing town square entrance ramp to help with inclement winter weather.
- Underground electrical service is well underway. Trenches have been dug and electrical lines laid. New cement bases for all-new exterior lamp posts have been installed and wired. The front sign was also rewired.
- The circle driveway, directly in front of the church, was repaved with asphalt. (This section of the circle drive was removed to make room for sewer and electrical lines.) Later this summer the entire driveway and parking lot will be sealed to provide a more uniform appearance and longer useful life.
- Exterior trim, flashing and paint work is continuing around the top of the sanctuary roof line.
- The columbarium relocation work continues. Planter boxes were recently installed on each side of the center island. The original brick pavers will be reinstalled as well as the benches and the statue of Jesus on the top of the center island. Some granite work remains for the new niches on the east wall of the sanctuary.
- All the work above will allow the landscaper in the second half of June to begin implementation of the landscape plan. This involves trees, shrubs, flowers and grass (more details to follow in a separate post.)
The lower-level spaces (six classrooms, fellowship hall, bathrooms, bridal lounge, etc.) are complete. The focus has shifted to completing a punch list closeout for these rooms and operationalizing the new spaces (everything from toilet paper to trash cans to Wi-Fi connectivity.) The first test for many of these new lower-level spaces will occur the week of June 20-24 when hundreds of Vacation Bible School campers occupy four of the six classrooms and the new fellowship area (craft room for VBS.)
There are two other project areas that are ongoing in existing areas of the Redeemer campus:
- Fire suppression is being added to existing areas that were not covered in the 2010 (Sacred Space phase I) project. These areas include the chapel, the Great Room and the kitchen. This work involves installing pipes and sprinkler heads in each new room, with connections to the main system. With the completion of this work the entire Redeemer campus, new and existing, will be under a fire suppression system.
- Finish carpenters will make two repairs to the chapel facade after their work concludes in the new sanctuary. The first repair is to the chapel steeple, which was struck by lightning some time ago and is just now being repaired. The second repair is to the four chapel columns (one of which had literally fallen down) which frame the chapel porch and front doors.
When the landscaping is nearly complete and the chapel facade work is complete, the construction fence will come down and site will receive a thorough cleanup, removing all materials, dumpster, trash, etc. from the site.
