St. Paul Lutheran, Green Bay, Wisconsin
In our February post, we shared a construction timeline that included digging for our new structure to start February 27th, which was earlier than our construction team's September estimate. We were told in February that weather and other factors could of course impact this earlier timeline. Well, guess what? Weather, a bit of red tape, and also some St. Paul scheduling needs have set us a little bit back on our timeline once again. The good news is that we're no worse off than we were in our September estimate: completion of phase 1 by Christmas 2023.
You'll likely notice some things happening after March 5th. Early in the following week, some large equipment will be showing up near the Chicago St. side of our property. On March 8th a crew will begin working on sewer line connections from under Chicago St. into the new building. Soon after, a new emergency exit will be installed in our gymnasium. The current thinking is that the main excavation for the basement will begin near the end of March, with the pouring of foundations happening a couple of weeks later.
Remember that once the main building excavation begins, the west doorway (the door that faces Webster Avenue) that leads into the gymnasium hallway will be unusable until the completion of phase 1 (Christmas 2023). The west driveway entrance and parking lot (near the Mason and Webster intersection) will remain open daily, but those who park there will have to walk around the building to use one of the doorways on Clay St. to enter the building. The south parking lot (by the playground) and its driveway entrance from Clay St. will continue to be closed during school hours, but that driveway and parking lot will continue to be available for use for church services. Because of the west doorway closure, some may find it helpful to park their vehicles on Clay St. or Chicago St. when visiting school or attending church. Be sure to pay attention to posted parking signs. Currently parking is prohibited on the west side of Clay St., the side of the street closest to our Clay St. building entrances. We are in conversations with the city to see if we can set up disabled parking spaces on that side of the street for the duration of the project - we'll let you know if our request is approved. Because of limited parking and entrances during construction, we are considering offering valet parking services for special events like Easter.
We hope this update has been helpful. Is it possible that the timeline shared here might change again? Of course. It's still good and God-pleasing for us to make plans as best we can. It's worth it, when our goals are gospel-centered, when Christ Jesus is our Rock. In him we have peace and joy even in the midst of grief and pain. In him we have forgiveness for all sins, life that never ends. This is the life we want future generations of children and families to know. We see the risks and the sacrifices that lie ahead. We know there are unknowns. But here's something that won't change: the Lord promises to bless us, his people, whether through our planning or in spite of it. We can trust that he will, in Jesus our Savior.
"He has done everything well!" (Mark 7:37).
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Did you know ... ? Our web blog contains in-depth news updates that aren't necessarily shared via E-news subscriptions. The blog contains regular (monthly) building project updates, call news, and selected sermons in print. Check out current and previous posts at www.stpaulgreenbay.com/blog. Do you want to receive email notifications of new blog posts? Go to our www.stpaulgreenbay.com home page. Scroll down to the blog section, enter your email address, and hit subscribe.
Did you know ... ? Our building project web page is www.stpaulgreenbay.com/rock. You can learn about the purpose and goals of this project, what's happening in phase 1 and phase 2 of the project, view a simulated walk-through of the finished project, make a pledge or a donation, and learn the history of our building activities over the past eight years.
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Today, Tomorrow, and the Future TTF is the long range building program of our congregation. It's been in place since 2012. The goal of the TTF program is to support and encourage the proclamation of the gospel through the design and function of our church and school building. See www.stpaulgreenbay.com/ttf.
Built on the Rock (BOTR) is our most recent - and largest - building project of the TTF program. Built on the Rock is a project that, when finished, will help us to proclaim the words of Jesus to many more souls for generations to come. Built on the Rock is designed to happen in two phases. Phase 1 involves new classrooms, dedicated program space, new offices, and improved security. Phase 2 involves an expanded narthex (gathering space) for church, and lower level space for community use. The capital cost for phase 1 is $4.5 million. The theme verse for the whole Built on the Rock project is Matthew 7:24. Jesus said, "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
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