Design Center Draws a Crowd

More than 100 congregants visited the Project Design Center yesterday in Gorelick Hall. Most of the activity involved some serious tuchas (did I spell that correctly?) testing of sanctuary chairs.

There was also a first viewing of dramatic renderings for the arks and stained glass in the Blumenthal Sanctuary and Archer Chapel. When she wasn’t teaching Religious School, Rabbi Judy stopped in to explain the symbolism in the designs.

There were also updated elevations and floorplans of the building and samples of carpeting, wall coverings, tile and other finishes.

Lots of good discussion, questions and comments. Thanks to everyone who came by. We appreciate your input and engagement.

Spring 2010 Project Update

Here’s the text of the mailing that went out earlier this week to the congregation:

As Spring approaches, you need only look through the trees at our building from Providence Road or various vantage points around Shalom Park to see daily progress on our historic construction project.

Samet Construction, the general contractor, reports that 10% of the project has been completed and we’re essentially on schedule to move back in by the end of this year.

The entire interior of the building has been gutted. (Check out the photos on our web site.) Cabinetry and other permanent fixtures have been disassembled and stored – including the ark from our original building – now the Dore Academy — that was in the Gold Chapel and the “Great White Ark” in our main sanctuary (see sidebar article). Our kitchen equipment was removed and is being refurbished off-site.

Crews have moved to demolition of exterior walls. Much of the parking lot has been removed and extensive grading work around the perimeter is evident.

Structural steel and Jerusalem stone for the exterior and some interior spaces will soon be delivered. The onset of warmer weather will enable the contractor to begin digging pilings, literally paving the way for work to begin on the expanded portions of the building.

The Building Committee remains very active on a daily basis to ensure that the project stays on schedule and on budget. Meanwhile, interior design is all but completed, addressing everything from carpeting and paint colors to bathroom fixtures and lighting. Plans for the sound and video systems in the main sanctuary are in the final stages. The Building Committee and Rabbi Schindler are close to finalizing plans for new arks and stained glass for the refurbished main sanctuary as well as the new chapel. A committee of congregants recently met to begin evaluating ways to render our yartzeit memorials and donor recognition in the new space.

Not surprisingly, the sluggish economy has taken a toll on our cash flow. We receive an average of $80,000 in pledge payments each month, for a total of $4.2 million collected of the $9.7 million pledged to date. On the other hand, we have paid out more than $3 million in project costs. As the pace of the construction accelerates, so will those expenses. There is a line of credit for the project, but we hope to postpone using it as long as possible to avoid additional interest expense.

That’s where all of you play such an important role. Please do everything possible to keep current with your pledge. (If you’re not certain about the timing or status of your payments, please contact Sara Schreibman at 704.749.3050.) It would be a tremendous help if you could accelerate and/or increase your commitment. And for those who have not made a pledge, it’s never too late; we welcome every gift no matter the size.

Keep an eye on the Temple web site at http://www.beth-el.com for further construction updates. Let us know if you have questions or comments.

New Home for Great White Ark

I’m pleased to report that we’ve found a new, long term and local home for the ark from our old sanctuary that I affectionately refer to as the “Great White Ark.”

Temple Beth El has reached an agreement to donate the ark to the Hebrew Cemetery Association (http://www.hebrewcemetery.org). The Association plans to build a new building at the Hebrew Cemetery site, located off Statesville Road. The ark will become the backdrop for communal space in the new facility, where memorial services and other gatherings may take place.

Here’s a rendering of what the ark’s new home will look like:
GWAlobby view

HCA’s new building will also house administrative and storage space.

The cemetery project is expected to begin in early 2012. Until then, the ark will be safely stored away in a secure facility, at no expense to the Temple.

Thanks to Kevin Levine, HCA president, and Bill Gorelick, building committee chair, for helping to make this mutually beneficial agreement happen.