Design & Construction

We have hired Himber & Associates (Union, NJ) to be our General Contractor (GC) after extensively reviewing their bid, interviewing their project team and visiting a number of their past accomplishments. Himber gave the lowest of three bids on the project -- which ranged from $2.9+ to $3.1+, a very close grouping that attests to our work up-front and the quality of the drawings/documents. All three also complimented us on the removal of the ceilings and asbestos prior to the walk-through which helped with the bidding process.

Chuck Rush, Dave Graepel, Dave Bunting and Tim Bland made a good effort to evaluate the two front-runners based upon a number of factors including: project staffing, previous projects, quality of work (especially stonework) and of course, bid pricing. Sheldon Himber & crew seemed to be very much on the ball, ready-to-go and have done many varied construction projects, albeit mostly synagogues and commercial buildings. They also have a reputation for accurate cost control and being thorough regarding submittals and change orders.

In the end, the GC is only as good as the sub-contractors used on the job, and a key point will be our involvement with Himber to select the best stone masons for our project - which Sheldon is happy to have us help decide. We felt that it is vital to have a contractor who is predictable, cooperative and sticks to the game plan that our architects have created for us. Sheldon seems to meet that criteria very well. He and his project manager Dan Perry, a Registered Architect, are experienced professionals and can work out the difficult problems for us, and are an excellent complement to the FFMG architects.

The finalized plans have been sent to Himber for submittal to the City for permit review, which can take up to 21 days before a response is mandatory. The drawings get reviewed by the Plumbing Official, Electrical Official and finally the Building Department. The Building Officials for Summit, have some familiarity with the project through a meeting with our architects and should process us in a reasonable amount of time.

Design & Construction

We are happy to report that the Building Committee is in the final stages of choosing a building contractor for the Barnwell expansion project. We solicited proposals from five construction firms that were recommended to us by our architects and other reliable sources and have received detailed proposals from three of the firms. We are in the process of evaluating the proposals, talking with firm managers and soliciting input from former clients of the firms. We expect to reach a decision and retain a contractor within a week or two. Our plan is to sign a contract by October 6. The actual start date of construction will be part our discussions with the contractors.

Our Ground-Breaking Ceremony on Sept 9 was a gala event. The whole congregation -- children included -- pitched in to start the digging, using an array of shovels, spades, even toy beach shovels. Dignitaries in attendence included US Senator from NJ, Jon Corzine, and UCC Associate Conference Minister for New Jersey, Rev. Sherry M. Taylor. The event was rounded out with cotton-candy, cake, punch, colorful helium baloons, kids with ribbon banners, and even a bagpipe leading the congregational procession from the Sanctuary to the building site after Worship. You can view a few quick snapshots.

Design & Construction

Report from the Barnwell Construction Committee -- 7-24-2001 . . .

The Summit Board of Adjustments approved our construction project on July 16th.  The renovation / expansion of Barnwell Hall has officially begun!

As the construction starts, there are some events that will make our normal Church activities a bit challenging.  Here are some examples (all dates subject to change!):

•        Everything is out of Barnwell and it will remain closed until approx. August of next year.

•        Asbestos removal will be done from July 15-August 5.   Barnwell will remain totally sealed during this period.

•        The playground and open areas around the church will be disrupted (starting the week of 6/25/2001) for the duration of the construction, but we hope to keep the playground open.

•        The main parking lot and drive-through parking areas will be closed 9/2001 - 8/2002.

•        Renovation of the upstairs offices of the main church building is scheduled for 1/2002 - 6/2002 (other interior areas will be also be involved).

•        Tom's current office will eventually become the Library, and the current Library will become the Music Room.  The books have already been moved upstairs.

Our standing programs will need to work around the construction and the program leaders have been doing some creative planning:

•        Sunday School – moved to the basement for the summer.  In the Fall we'll have a bus to transport the kids to The Connection.  The kids are into it because they don't get to ride a bus often.

•        Nursery – will be in the chapel adjacent to Lile Hall for the duration of construction.

•        Interfaith Hospitality (homeless shelter) – participation by Christ Church is temporarily suspended.

•        Choir – will need to schedule around construction.

•        Pre-school Coop – relocated to Fountain Baptist Church for the duration.

•        Coffee Hour – in Lile Hall until the end of the project.

This will be some disruption of church activities, but the results will be worth it!  We hope everyone will be able to join the official “ground breaking” ceremony scheduled for September 9.

Design & Construction

Report from the Barnwell Construction Committee, which met on 5/24...

Things are progressing very well, and we are on track to begin work on Barnwell at the end of June (starting with asbestos abatement). We plan to have a kind of "ground breaking" ceremony to mark the event.

We are currently scheduled to present the construction plans to the Summit Board of Adjustment on 6/4. If no major issues are identified, we should be able to get a final resolution to proceed early in July. While this is later than we originally anticipated, the final resolution is not yet on the "critical path".

So, our anticipated full completion of construction remains September, 2002!

Capital Campaign

We've raised just under $3.4 million in gifts and pledges to-date - 96% of our goal of $3.5 million. Contributions have been received from 154 individuals and families. We expect to reach our goal in the coming months.

This leaves us well-positioned to proceed with construction.

Thanks to everyone for your extraordinary response to our Capital Campaign!

Design & Construction

The field exploration was completed Tuesday, March 27, 2001. After reading the summary (below), Tim Bland (our Chief Engineer in Residence!) commented "Looks like the site is as we expected, fill on top of solid rock... It's good to know that the church is on solid ground!"

Capital Campaign

We've raised over $2,692,000 in gifts and pledges to-date - 77% of the minimum need of $3.5 million. Contributions have been received from 60 members.

In the past week, the campaign has raised $152,000 from 11 gifts as many members who were approached earlier this month are deciding on their level of their support. The 23-member Special Gift Phase Committee is busy visiting many families and will continue doing so for at least the next three weeks.

When you are contacted by a volunteer, please make their difficult task a little easier by agreeing to meet with them for a short while to discuss the project. By giving of ourselves and working together, we will preserve and enhance the wonderful legacy that has been given to us by past generations.

Design & Construction

We have received permission from The Connection (formerly the YWCA) to use their meeting space for Sunday School.

The Co-op Nursery School will be moving to Fountain Baptist Church for a year.

We will be meeting with neighbors on Apr 1 to discuss our plans with them.
[It got postponed -- ed.]

Capital Campaign

We've raised over $2,540,000 in gifts and pledges to date -- 73% of the minimum need of $3.5 million. Contributions have been received from 49 members in the initial phase of the campaign. The campaign's average gift is over $50,000!

The Special Gift Phase of the campaign kicked off this week with a meeting of 25 volunteers on Thursday, March 22. Over the next six weeks, approximately 100 members will be contacted by teams of volunteers who will explain why we are undertaking this campaign and how we propose to upgrade and expand our facilities. Members will be asked for meaningful financial commitments to this project which will enhance the mission of Christ Church.

Design & Construction

As the Barnwell project moves forward, the final plans for the new building are being further refined and enhanced, according to Dave Graepel, who chairs the church's Building Committee.

"We are now looking at putting in a half basement below the new kitchen to serve as a mechanical room. That will help us address one of our top remaining goals - creating new storage space - without adding significantly to the cost of the overall project," Graepel said.

In addition to the basement, the Building Committee has asked the architects to revise and enlarge the new entranceway between Barnwell and the main church building. A new skylight has been added, which will brighten the space and give it a "more welcoming feel for informal church gatherings," according to Graepel.

While the general design for the facility is set, many of the details are still being finalized as the Building Committee seeks to balance the needs of the congregation with the proposed budget.

"At this stage, we are constantly meeting with the architects to review and improve the final plans," said Graepel. "As we drill down into the project, we are in a position to comment more intelligently on what the architects have proposed. This will help us make sure that the new Barnwell will effectively serve our members for years to come."

Capital Campaign

Christ Church's Barnwell Building Expansion project has raised over $2,460,000 in gifts and pledges - 70% of the minimum need of $3.5 million. Contributions have been received from 41 members in the initial phase of the campaign and 22 members are still considering the level of their support.

This coming week will mark the beginning of the second phase of the campaign. On Thursday, March 22, a meeting of volunteers will take place at Christ Church to kick-off the phase.