Our building progress has been slowed down a bit, but perhaps God is asking us to look at our plans a bit? When the design was about 90% finished, our architects asked for a new cost estimate from their subcontractors. It came in higher than our committee could accept and present to you, the parishioners. So we are working with the architects and other consultants to see how we can bring the estimate back within our parish budget. This means that the building plan will be "tweaked" somehat.
For example, we have decided that we will build the new Church in the first phase of construction. Therefore, we won’t need a hall large enough to seat 800 people for Sunday worship, so the hall can now be made smaller.
When the final “footprint” of all the buildings and their placement is definite, the last tasks can be completed for the plan, like the landscaping. Then we will be ready finally to file the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) with the city of Redlands.
Please keep us in prayer as we work out these details. And, also, please pray that God sends us a buyer for our two Church properties soon. We need the proceeds of these sales to begin construction!
With Hope,
Sr. Mary Garascia and the Building Committee